i 



' <# aMBBataaanagaiafaaiaaaBaiMBaaaaaa 4 



^ a 








iiiAnefliaaaesi 



*■#> 



«04! 




■a«^#ai«aaii8aaB«aflaaaaae 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Chap. Copyright No. 

Shel£Ll,-„-. ; I 
-ft. s , 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 



(&UW <X\ti) §&§k(b 



|>un anfc £0ief* 



B ;fiSook of Devout Gbougbts 
for Ever^s=2)a^ Tflse 



WRITTEN AND SELECTED 



y 



DR. GUSTAV GOTTHEIL 

Senior Rabbi Temple Emanu-El, New York 



For Sun and Shield is the everlasting 
God; He giveth grace and honor, with- 
holdeth no good from them that walk in 
uprightness. — Psalm xxxliv. 12. 



mew lor!; 
BRENTANO'S 



1,**** 



,% 



A 



CHICAGO PARIS WASHINGTON 



7VU 



i 



2 



\ 



G** 



Copyright, /Sg6, by 
BRENTANCTS 



Go tbe 

fiDemor^ of fn>£ Wife 

IRoealie lid- Oottbeil 



(preface. 



4 4 rft FRIENDLY thought," says Carlyle, "is the purest gift a 
v^y man can afford to man." If so, this book should not 
fail of a kindly reception by all those who value such a gift. For 
what thoughts can be more friendly and propitious to man's best 
nature than those fitted to evoke and nourish in his heart a devout 
spirit ? Such thoughts speak peace to his soul, direct his spiritual 
eye inward and upward, purify and elevate his desires, bid him, 
when distressed, to be of good cheer, and, when prosperous, to 
guard himself from the snares of pride and godforgetfulness. " A 
friend in need is a friend indeed," is the common saying ; and such 
a friend in all sorts of needs and perplexities and doubts and 
trials this book is meant to prove ; to this end our own Bible and 
other Bibles, the traditions of our own church and of other 
churches, the spiritual bequests of our own sages and poets 
and of other wise men and singers, as well, as the writings of 
living authors have been diligently searched and laid under con- 
tribution. 

Friendly, also, in another way, these pages will be found on 
examination. Altho' intended for Israelites, and prepared without 
any attempt whatsoever at concealing or putting out of sight, or 
even toning down, Jewish faith or Jewish hopes or Jewish aspira- 
tions, there will yet be seen nothing here at which any candid 
reader of another creed could justly take umbrage. They only 
who look for offence may discover such ; the over-zealous eye 



PREFACE. 

easily magnifies a mere shadow across the way into a stumbling- 
block; they who are blind from an excess of imagined light, 
may even be scandalized at the least claim put forth by any faith 
but their own. Against these classes (they are, fortunately, now 
growing less in number) there is no panacsea ; their cavil must be 
simply endured. But the fair-minded will allow that this book is 
not unworthy the encomium and imprimatur of England's great 
writer: that it is a pure gift of friendly thoughts afforded by one 
man to his brother man. 

Likewise the form in which these " Thoughts " are presented 
should help to make them acceptable. A few moments of daily 
introspection, of retirement from the exhausting din and rush 
around us, so that we may listen to the still, small voice within us, 
or, led by a word of truth and counsel, bethink ourselves — (uns 
auf uns selbst besinnen) seems to have become a way of religious 
and ethical self-culture which is congenial to the taste and temper 
of our time. Quite a literature has sprung up, designed to satisfy, 
what may be truly called, a need of these latter days; and I 
have full reason to believe that it is felt amongst spiritually- 
minded Israelites as much as amongst Christians of the same class. 
A lady-parishioner, finding one of those books on my study- 
table, lifted it up, as if in grateful acknowledgment, and said : 
" This book, sir, altho' not by a Jewish author, has been my staff 
and my support these last seven years, which were full of trials 
and heartaches to me and, in fact, I know not how I should have 
lived through them without its daily counsel near at hand." 

I count this demand for new aids to devotional self-exercise 
among the hopeful signs of the time ; for it shows that devotion is 
not one of the things which we have outgrown, but which has 
been growing with us ; nay, that it is gathering unto itself new 
strength by the addition of thought to sentiment, of reflection to 
prayer and by the willing acceptance of healthful counsel from 
whatever side it may come. 



PREFACE. 

I have, therefore, gladly responded to the invitation of the pub- 
lishers to prepare such a help to devout thinking- for the Jewish 
church; whether and in how far I have struck the right path, the 
future will tell. 

I have, however, departed from my predecessors in one essen- 
tial point ; I have exchanged the guiding line of Dates, followed by 
them, for a line of Subjects, systematically arranged and provided 
with appropriate headings. The former plan seemed to me all too 
formal and mechanical. Man's mind is not like an organ, which 
can be set to play any tune we wish, by putting a sheet of paper 
into it. Our moods cannot be regulated by dates. What we 
want is " strength according to our ow?i days," which are more 
many-colored than was Joseph's coat. When, on the first of June, 
we greet the morning with a light and contented heart — we shall 
turn, in a sort of anger, from the page bearing that date, on finding 
that it gives us a death-bed confession, or, if sad and burdened, 
and longing for a word of comfort, we find Blackie's Song of Glee 
offered for our morning devotion. When God has filled our mouths 
with laughter, our diurnal reading should not fill our eyes with 
tears. The system, which I have adopted, saves the reader from 
such recoils. The full index of subjects in front of the book makes 
it easy for him to find a subject most consonant with his actual 
frame of mind; whilst, when his days follow each other in an even 
tenor, he may select his topic and be led, step by step, to consider 
it in its various bearings. Another advantage of the present 
system is that I could take due notice of Sabbaths and Festivals 
and provide readings suitable for those days. The expression on 
the title page " for every-day use " should be understood, not 
only as characterizing the practical nature of the readings, but 
also in its numerical sense, every day of the year. There are 
three hundred and sixty-six readings, divided into twelve sections 
or books, after the months of the year, regard being had to the 
order of the Festivals in the Jewish church-year. In the arrange- 

iii 



PREFACE. 

ment of subjects I have been guided by the wish to present to 
the reader a concise, yet comprehensive, view of modern Judaism 
which, I trust, will be as welcome to the Jewish as to the non- 
Jewish reader. Dogmatic, philosophical or historic treatises are 
not the writings which attract the majority of people. A brief 
statement, in clear and non-scholastic terms, appeared to me 
the best vehicle to convey such information to circles where it is 
much needed. It is mostly here where I speak in propria persona, 
whilst in the field of ethics, of what the Germans call Weltweis- 
heit, and of the principles of universal religion, I have invited 
greater minds, lights of the world, poets of mankind, to speak 
their Divine prophecies once more to our generation; and assist 
me in providing a table for those who hunger after righteousness 
and thirst for the true word of the ever-inspiring God. To those 
of their holy order who have joined the Choir Invisible, may this 
re-awakening of their voices be as a thank-offering ; whilst to 
those of my contributors, who are happily still in the land of the 
living, I hereby offer my thanks with an upright heart. 

The Scripture texts at the head of each article have not been 
placed there as a mere compliment to theVenerable Book, to which 
I would, in this wise " pay its dues in bows " ; but from the con- 
viction of their incomparable value for the upbuilding of a relig- 
ious mind. I have bestowed much labor on their selection and 
would entreat those, who shall use this book, not to pass them 
over lightly, but to pause awhile after reading and try to grasp 
their meaning and note their beauty, simplicity and elevation. 
Would that I could have given them, as they live in my own mind, 
in their native garb ; such was our wont only half a century ago ! 
For the most skilful rendering is, as has been pithily said, a 
surrendering of part of the meaning and force of the original. 
True in all cases, it is signally so in that of the Bible ; religion be- 
ing the great and all-absorbing purpose of the nation which 
created that literature, the national tongue was formed for the 



PREFACE. 

expression of religious thought and feeling, as was no other. 
But even in a strange tongue, this is what one, competent to 
speak, says of Scripture quotations: 

The charm which Scripture quotation adds to writing, let 
those tell who have read Milton, Bunyan, Burke, Forster, Southey, 
Croly, Carlyle, Macauley, yea, and even Byron, all of whom have 
sown their pages with this orient pearl and brought thus an im- 
pulse from Divine Inspiration to add to the effect of their own. 
Extracts trom the Bible always attest and vindicate their origin. 
They nerve what else in the sentence in which they occur is point- 
less; they clear a space for themselves, and cast a wide glory 
around the page where they are found. Taken from the 4< Class- 
ics of the Heart" all hearts vibrate more or less strongly to their 
voice. It is even as David felt of old toward the sword of Goliath 
when he visited the high-priest and said ; There is none like that, 
give it me. — {Gilftllan.) 

And George Herbert says : 

" A verse may find him who a sermon flies." 

As the number of flyers from sermons is exceptionally large in 
these latter days, I thought it labor well-bestowed, carefully to 
select " verses " which seemed to me to possess that heart- 
searching power. I have been equally solicitous in the choice 
of the poetical quotations, avoiding mere rhymed platitudes, or 
metred inanities, or spiritless and hollow Wortgeklingel, but have 
aimed at conveying, in the artistic form, a poetical thought akin 
to the ideas presented in the prose portion. I did not think it 
necessary to add the poets' names to these fragments, partly, be- 
cause I would not cumber the pages with names by which the 
reader's attention is often lured from his text; partly, because 
such brief quotations are mostly given by all writers without 
mentioning the poet's name. Only where a whole poem is in- 
serted, I deemed it my duty to both, author and reader, to subjoin 
the name of the " Happy Rhymer." 

I may not close these prefatory remarks without acknowledg- 



PREFACE. 

ing my obligations to my publishers, who not only (as I have 
already stated) took the initiative in the preparation of this book, 
but have foreborn with me when I could not help, from want of 
time, to put their patience to severe tests, and who never stood 
back at any suggestion by which the usefulness of the book could 
be increased and its outer garment made more pleasing to the 
eye ; so that it is as much for their sakes, as for my own, that I 
desire to see these pages fulfil the mission for which they were 
intended. And let this be my last word to the gentle Reader : 
Brother, Sister, whoever thou be who enters this " little sanctuary" 
which I have reared with more labor and more anxious thought 
than appears to the eye — mayest thou indeed here "meet with God " 
and may the words, heard in its stillness, ever prove to thee " words 
in season," lighting thy way to that special grace thou standest in 
need of; and mayest thou, thereby, be helped to fulfil thy highest 
obligation : to hallow the name of God and receive, what our 
sages call: the seal and confirmation of all blessings: peace! — 
I beseech God so to prosper the work of my hand, mind and 
heart. 

GUSTAV GOTTHEIL. 



Contents. 



BOOK I. 



45oo, 





PAGE 


* 


PAGE 


I. 


The Creator . . . 


I 


XVII. 


The Overruling 


II. 


The Praise of the 






Power . . . .17 




Creator .... 


2 


XVIII. 


Meeting with God 19 


III. 


The Thought of God 


3 


XIX. 


The Inward Wit- 


IV. 


Feeling after God 


4 




ness of God . . 20 


V. 


Finding God . . . 


5 


XX. 


The Known God . 2 1 


VI. 


Let there be Light 


6 


XXI. 


Nearer \ my God, 


VII. 


The Goodness of God 


7 




to Thee. ... 23 


VIII. 


The Justice of God . 


8 


XXII. 


The Accepted 


IX. 


The Goodness of God*s 






Worship . . .24 




Work 


9 


XXIII. 


Reverence God 


X. 


The Everpresent God 


IO 




and Help Men . 25 


XL 


The God we Worship 


ii 


XXIV. 


The God of the 


XII. 


Singing Hymns to 






Good .... 26 




God 


12 


XXV. 


The Holy and 


XIII. 


Intellectual Worship 






Merciful God . 27 




of God 

The Deeper Sense of 
Gratitude . . . 

The Thankful Heart 

The Prayers of the 


14- 


XXVI. 


From Nature to 


XIV. 

XV. 
XVI. 


16 


XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 


Nature s God . 28 
The Unity of God 29 
The Joy of God . 30 
The Spirit of God 3 1 
The God of all 




Wise . . ' . . . 


16 




Souls .... 32 



Vll 



CONTENTS, 



BOOK II. 



Qtt4n- 



ii. 

in. 

IV. 

v. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 
XV. 



Man — Sinner and 

Saint 37 

The Two Natures i?i 

Man 38 

Fellow Men — Fellow 

Sinners .... 39 
The Pure Heart . .41 
The Pure Lips . . 42 
The Merciful Heart 43 
The Faithful Heart 44 



Self-Pule . . . 
Soul- Liberty . . 
Control and Cleanli 

ness 

The Good Flight . 
Serenity of Soul . 
Man — Coworker with 

God 

Vicarious Toilers 



45 
46 

47 
48 

49 

5o 
5i 



Toilers of the Spirit 5 3 



XVI. Pathfinders . .54 
XVII. The Blessings of 

Love . . . . 55 
XVIII. The Way of the 

God fearing . .56 
XIX. Godliness . . .57 

XX. The Aspiration of 

Work .... 58 

XXI. Death . . . .59 

XXII. Immortality . . 60 

XXIII. Intimations of 

Immortality . . 62 

XXIV. The Scaffolding . 63 
XXV. Tears .... 64 

XXVI. The Hereafter . 65 
XXVII. The Hope of Sal- 

vation . ... 67 

XXVIII. The Destiny of 

Man .... 68 

XXIX. Duty Divine . . 69 

XXX. True Excellency . 70 



Vlll 



CONTENTS. 





BOOK III. 




3*taef. 




PART 


FIRST. 




PAGE 




I. 


The Call of Israel . 75 


XVIII. 


II. 


The Best Truths . 76 




III. 


Israel Enduring . 77 


XIX. 


IV. 


An Ideal of a Jew . 79 




V. 


The Purpose of the 
Commandments . 80 


XX. 


VI. 


The Two Guides . 81 


XXI. 


VII. 


Customs . . . .82 


XXII. 


VIII. 


The Spiritual Life 83 




IX. 


Ancient Prayers . . 84 


XXIII. 


X. 


The Grace of Re- 
pentance . . .85 


XXIV. 


XI. 


Israels Heritage . 86 


XXV. 


XII. 


What was Revealed 
to Moses ... 87 


XXVI. 


XIII. 


The Way to God . 88 


XXVII. 


XIV. 


The Unifying 






Power of Re- 


XXVIII. 




ligion .... 90 




XV. 


Jewish Separatism 91 


XXIX. 


XVI. 


True Unity . . .92 


XVII. 


The Invisible 






Church . , ♦ 93 


XXX. 



PAGE 

The 1 71 visible 
Lodge .... 95 

Apostles of Right- 
eousness ... 96 

The Pride of 
Faith .... 97 

The Bible ... 98 
Hallowing God *s 
Name . . . .100 
Charity . . .101 

No Conflict with 
Scie7ice . . .102 

History . . .103 
Faith in their 
Destiny . . .104 

Mystery, but 710 
Secrecy . . .106 

Faith i7i the Here- 
after .... 107 

The Chose7i 
People . . .108 

Messiah . . .110 



IX 



CONTENTS. 





BOOK IV. 




^Btatt 




PART < 


SECOND. 




PAGE 




I. 


The Fruit of Unity 1 1 5 


XVII. 


II. 


The Land of 






Promise — a Land 


XVIII. 




of Memories . .116 




III. 


The Dispersion . 117 


XIX. 


IV. 


The New Life . .119 


XX. 


V. 


Deed is Creed . .120 


VI. 


When is the Good 
Time? . . . .121 


XXI. 


VII. 


The Good of To day 123 


XXII. 


VIII. 


Honor the Hoary 






Head 1 24 


XXIII. 


IX. 


The Blooming Rod 125 


XXIV. 


X. 


Th e Past a?id 






Present . . . .126 


XXV. 


XL 


The Only Heresy . 127 




XII. 


The Healing Hand 
of God . . . .129 


XXVI. 


XIII. 


Unbroken in Spirit 1 30 


XXVII. 


XIV. 


The Torch of 






Science . . . .131 


XXVIII. 


XV. 


Still on the Alert . 133 


XXIX. 


XVI. 


The Man Possessed 






of God , , , , 1 34 


XXX. 



PAGE 

The Force of 
Ancient Words 135 
The Suffering 
Witness for God 137 
True Piety . . 1 38 

A Time to Speak 140 
The Blessing of 
Abraham . ..141 
The Silent yet 
Potent Teacher . 1 42 

Saving Our Soul 144 

The Animal 
Soul .... 

Spiritual Nur- 
ture .... 

The Dread of 
Fnvy .... 

The Joy of the 
Jewish Sabbath 

Superstition . . 

Chosen and yet 
Sinladen . . . 

The Comforter 



H5 
147 
148 

149 

150 



15' 

J53 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK V. 



$0um<xn\t$. 





] 


PAGE 




I. 


The Kingdoin of God 


157 


XVII. 


II. 


Messianic Prayer , 


158 




III. 


The Power of Love 


l60 


XVIII. 


IV. 


The Surety of Peace 


l6l 


XIX. 


V. 


The Pillar of Grati- 






tude 


l62 


XX. 


VI. 


The Fruitful Tree . 


163 




VII. 


The Ev erlast ing 




XXI. 




Arms 


I65 




VIII. 


The Brotherhood of 




XXII. 




Man 


166 




IX. 


Religion and Hu- 




XXIII. 




manity .... 


l67 




X. 


The Wisdom of the 




XXIV. 




Wise 


I69 


XXV. 


XL 


The Trials of Great 




XXVI. 




Souls 


I70 




XII. 


The Continuance of 




XXVII. 




our Life .... 


171 




XIII. 


The Ideal always 




XXVIII. 




with us .... 


173 




XIV. 


Religion and Home 


174 




XV. 


What is Charity ? . 


175 


XXIX. 


XVI. 


Repe?it for III by do 




XXX. 




ing Good . . . 


I76 





PAGE 

Hatred and 
Pride . . .177 

The School of 
Affliction . .179 

The Dignity of 
Man .... 180 

Apostle of Con- 
science . . .181 

The Prophet of 
Soul- Liberty . 182 

Our Acts our 
Angels . . .184 

Liberty and 
Light . . .185 

Belief in Man . 186 

The Architect of 
Circumstances 1 8 7 

A 7t Humble 
Faith . . .188 

Hatred, The De- 
stroyer . . .189 

What Right- 
eousness In- 
cludes . . .190 

Cause no Stum- 
bling . . . .191 

From the Cradle 
to the Grave . 1 93 



XI 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK VI. 



£0e 3«ner £ife. 



I. 


PAGE 

Duties of the Heart 197 


XVI. 


PAGE 

Joy in the Ever- 


II. 


Castigation s — a 




present . . .214 




Means Only . .198 


XVII. 


The Godly Sor- 


III. 


The Unfailing Re 




row . . . .215 
The Schooling 




ward .... 200 


XVIII. 


IV. 


The Kingdom of 
Man is Withi7i . 201 




<5 

of Life . . .216 


V. 


Resignation — the 


XIX. 


The Punishment 




Greatest Power of 




of Anger . .217 




the Mind . . . 202 


XX. 


Seal up the 


VI. 


Waiting for the 




Angry Lips .218 




Lord 203 


XXI. 


The God-loving, 220 


VII. 


The Blessedness of 


XXII. 


Lowliness Ele- 




Prayer .... 204 




vates . . . 221 


VIII. 


Th e Power of 


XXIII. 


Who also Serve 222 




Prayer .... 205 


XXIV. 


The World's 


IX. 


Prayer — an Ex per- 




C en sure a 




ience , . . . . 206 




Means of Grace 224 


X. 


If not Religion — 


XXV. 


The Fining Pot 225 




What? .... 208 


XXVI. 


Shun Vainglory 226 


XI. 


The Morning and 


XXVII. 


Unco ns cious 




Evening Stars of 




Worshippers 




Life 209 




of God . . . 227 


XII. 


Devotion — a Liv- 


XXVIII. 


What is Most 




ing Sense of the 




Precious in 




Ideal 210 




Man .... 229 


XIII. 


In God' s Own 


XXIX. 


Prosperous Ad- 




Time 211 




versity . . .230 


XIV. 


Stillness to God . .212 


XXX. 


The Artificer of 


XV. 


God Quiets me in 




his own Hap- 




Himself . . . .213 




piness . . .231 



Xll 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK VII. 



Z$t ^ociaf Etfe. 





PAGE 




PAGE 


I. 


Seek Peace and 


XVII. 


The Golden 




Pursue it . . .235 




Mean . . . 253 


II. 


The Sin of Slander 236 


XVIII. 


Kindly Speech . 254 


III. 


No Outcasts . . .237 


XIX. 


Pure Religion 


IV. 


In Sorrow, not in 




and Unde filed 255 




Anger .... 238 


XX. 


The Consolation 


V. 


Full Pardon . . .239 




of the Right- 


VI. 


Doing Good with- 




eous .... 256 




XXI. 


The Greatest is 




out Causing Har -m 240 




Love .... 257 


VII. 


Angels' Visits . . 242 


XXII. 


Sobriety . . . 2;g 


VIII. 


The Pleading Voice 


XXIII. 


The Greatness of 




of God .... 243 




Little Things . 260 


IX. 


Be a nd Appear 


XXIV. 


Consummation of 




Good 244 




the Past . .261 


X. 


Friendship . . .245 


XXV. 


Human Kinship 262 


XI. 


The Right Use of 


XXVI. 


Praise and 




Power .... 246 




Prize of Virtue 264 


XII. 


Making the Best of 


XXVII. 


The Sweet Uses 




One Another . . 247 




of Bitter Words 265 


XIII. 


Justice Before 


XXVIII. 


The Vanity of 




Charity .... 248 




Vaunting . .266 


XIV. 


Endeavors . . .250 


XXIX. 


Love's Hour Al- 


XV. 


Love Thyself in 




ways Now . . 267 




Thy Neighbor . 251 


XXX. 


Fill Thy Place 


XVI. 


The Grace of Man- 




in the Struggle 




ners 252 




for Goodness . 268 



xui 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK VIII. 



£0e gome feife. 



PAGE 



I. 


Parallel Roads to 




XVI. 


II. 


Happiness . . . 
The Joyous Worker 


273 
274 


XVII. 


III. 


The Grace of Child- 




XVIII. 




hood 


275 




IV. 


Life in the Destroy- 




XIX. 


V. 


er s Steps . . . 
Neighborhood . . 


276 

277 


XX. 
XXI. 


VI. 


Saved from De- 




XXII. 




struction . . . 


278 




VII. 


do. 


279 


XXIII. 


VIII. 


do. 


281 


XXIV. 


IX. 


The Mother s Tear . 


282 




X. 


Presents of Peren- 








nial Price . . . 


283 


XXV. 


XL 


The Heart's Con- 




XXVI 




tentment . . . 


285 


XXVII 


XII. 


Considerate Speech . 


286 


XXVIII 


XIII. 


The Twofold Ten- 




XXIX 


XIV. 


dency in Man . . 
Let it pass . . . . 


287 
288 


XXX 


XV, 


Home- Politeness . . 


289 





292 

293 
294 

295 
297 



PAGE 

The Glory of 
Faithfulness . 290 

Learn to En- 
dure .... 291 

Father and 
Mother . . . 

P"orefathers . . 

The Dead . . 

Tra nsfigura tion 
of Death . . 

The Eternal Re- 
ward . . . . 

The Children's 
Praise of God. 298 

Happiness, gen- 
uine and spur- 
ious .... 

Be not Selfish in 
thy Sorrow 

Gentle Rule . . 

The Homestead . 303 

The Home-land 304 

Levity, a Foe to 

Cheerfulness . 306 

G dn ess of 
Heart — the 
Beaut ifier . . 307 



299 

300 
301 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK IX. 



$m<xt§. 



I. Praise of God in the 

Highest . . . .311 
II. Islam — Surrender 

to God . . . .312 

III. The God of Our 

Forefathers . .313 

IV. The Waters of Noah 314 
V. Erring on the Right 

Side 316 

VI. Revelation in His- 
tory 317 

VII. Personal Religion . 318 
VIII. The Commwiity of 

Saints . a . .319 
IX. Righteousness, a 

Blessing for all .320 

X. Reasonable Content- 

merit 322 

XI. Rest Under the 
Shadow of His 
Wing .... 323 
XII. Discord and Accord 324 

XIII. Inward Rest . . . 325 

XIV. The Ever - present 

Help 326 

XV. Serenity . . . .327 



XVI. 


Unselfish Peace . 328 


XVII. 


Sacred Uses of 




the Sacred 




Day .... 329 


XVIII. 


Sabbath 




Thoughts . .33° 


XIX. 


do 332 


XX. 


do 333 


XXI. 


do 334 


XXII. 


do 335 


XXIII. 


do 336 


XXIV. 


do 337 


XXV. 


The Father of 




Lights ... 338 


XXVI. 


Acts of Piety . 339 


XXVII. 


S ft ir i t u a I 




Growth . . . 340 


XXVIII. 


The Vesture of 




the Diety . .341 


XXIX. 


The Throne of 




God .... 342 


XXX. 


Prayer of the 




Yearning Soul 343 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK X. 



Jerftwfe. 



PAGE 

I. The Message of the 

Month of Tishri . 347 
II. Rosh-hashanah . . 348 

III. do 349 

IV. The Destiny of Man 350 

V. For the Penite7itial 

Days 351 

VI. do 353 

VII. do 354 

VIII. do 355 

IX. do 357 

X. do 35 8 

XI. do 359 

XII. do 3 6 ° 

XIII. The Day of Atone- 

ment 361 

XIV. Reconciliation . . 363 
XV. Festivals of Re- 
joicing .... 364 



XVI. 


Feast of Taber- 






nacles . . . 


365 


XVII. 


do 


366 


XVIII. 


do 


367 


XIX. 


do 


369 


XX. 


do 


37o 


XXI. 


do 


371 


XXII. 


The Closing Fes- 






tival . . . . 


372 


XXIII. 


Chanukah . . 


374 


XXIV. 


Passover . . . 


376 


XXV. 


do 


377 


XXVI. 


do 


378 


XXVII. 


do. Spring- 






time. . . . - , 


379 


XXVIII. 


do 


381 


XXIX. 


do 


382 


XXX. 


do 


383 


XXXI. 


Shabuoth . . . 


385 


XXXII. 


Confirmation 


386 


XXXIII. 


Tisha B'Ab . . 


388 



XVI 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK XI. 



t$t Community. 



I. 


Religion and Public 




Morality . . .393 


II. 


The Natural Direc- 




tions of Charity . 394 


III. 


Say -well and Do - 




well 395 


IV. 


Th e Oneness of 




Human Aspira- 




tions 396 


V. 


The Safety of 




Humility . . .397 


VI. 


Soul-Sanity . . . 398 


VII. 


Serving God — Prac 




tic a I Religioji . .399 


VIII. 


Fulfill the Whole 




Law 400 


IX. 


David and the Sweet 




Singers after him 402 


X. 


Words of Coimsel . 403 


XI. 


Disappointme7its . 404 


XII. 


Gad's Gift, the 




Spirit's Thrift . 405 


XIII. 


How to Give and to 




Take Counsel . . 406 


XIV. 


Peace, the Fruit of 




Goodness. . . . 408 


XV. 


Blended Radiance . 409 



XVI. 



XVII. 

XVIII. 

XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 
XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 



The Refuge of 
Uprighteous- 
ness . . . .410 

Be Circumspect .411 
Truth Self- Pro- 
tecting . . .412 
The Whisperer .413 
Wise Cotmsel .414 
Tempt not God .415 
Doing our Ought 417 
Spotless and 

Guileless . .418 
The Pharisees . 419 
An Exhortation 420 
The Schooling of 

the Law . . 42 1 
The Witness of 

Conduct . .422 
Sins of Omission 423 
Worship, Wise 

a7id Otherwise 424 
More Light and 

Welco?ne . .425 
The B a I in of 
Prayer . . .426 



CONTENTS. 



BOOK XII. 



Citne anb (Bternifg. 



PAGE 

431 



Day 



Lasting 



432 



433 



434 



I. Delay is Loss . 
II. The Passing 
Holds 
Good . 

III. Here is the Light of 

Hereafter . . . 

IV. We Cannot be Where 

God is Not . . . 

V. The Insight of Good- 

ness 436 

VI. The Fear and the 

Love of God . . 437 
VII. The Flight of Years 438 
VIII. The Fittest Prep a ra - 
Hon for a Better 
World 
IX. Passing Away in 

Peace 

X. Planting for Eter- 
nity 

XI. Discords and Ac- 
cords of Life . . 
XII. The Allurements of 

Heroism . . . .443 

XIII. Morning Offering . 444 

XIV. This Day the Lord 

Hath Made . . 445 

XV. Victorious froin the 

Fight .... 446 
XVI. Midnight Hymn . . 447 



• 439 



440 



441 



442 



XVII. 

XVIII. 
XIX. 

XX. 

XXI. 
XXII. 
XXIII 
XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 
XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 
XXXII. 



The Fashioning 
Hand . . . 448 

At the Unknown 
Gate .... 449 

At the Ti7ne of 
Old Age . . 450 

The Crowning of 
a Good Lije . 451 

/;/ the Home for 
Incurables . .452 

The Heroism of 
Subi?iission . 454 

Not so in Haste, 
My Little Man 455 

Our Times of 
Life .... 456 

The Hope of the 
Future^ a 
Light for the 
Presejit . . .457 

A Song of Trust 458 

The A irs of 
Heaven . . . 460 
Turning the 

Light Inward 461 
The Hidden 

Light and Life 462 
The Chastening 

Thought of 

Death . . . 463 
Crossing the Bar 464 
Hallowing the 

Name of God . 465 



feist of (gUfflore Quoteb. 



Abrahams, Israel, 242, 246 

Achai, Rabbi, 102, 146, 190 

Addison, Joseph, 181, 186, 214, 252, 285, 

•300, 360 
Aguilar, Grace, 419 
Alami, Solomon, 145 
Antoninus, 25 
Aristotle, 254 
Arnold, Matthew, 193, 386 
Asai, ben, 55 

asher, judah, ben, 147, 236 
auerbach, berthold, 306 
Arama, Isaac, 143, 163 

Barrows, Sam. T., 262 

Barnes, Albert, 302 

beaulieu, anatole leroy, 131, t32, 

Beethoven, Ludwig, von, 171 
Beecher, Henry Ward, 16, 64, 267, 

324, 364, 380, 385 
Bigg, J. Stanyon, 342 
Blair, Hugh, 306 
bonar, horatius, 449 
Bombo, Pietro, 451 
bosthwick, j. d. 388 
Bremer, Frederika, 442 
Brooks, Phillips, 235 
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett, 65 
Brown, E. A. C, 466 
Brown, Sir Thomas, 240, 344 
Bryant, William Cullen, 450 
Bunyan, John, 406 
Burleigh, William, H., 380 
Burke, 186 

Caedmon, 371 

Camp, Stephen H., 452 

Carlyle, Thomas, 52, 53, i 73 , 187, 274, 

444, 446 
Cecil, 465 

Chad wick, John W., 168, 243 
Chalmers, T., 394 
Channing, William E., 203, 229. 367 
Cicero, 166 
Clapp, Eliza T., 88 
Cleanthes, 3, 342 
COBBE, E. P., 361 



Coleridge, Hartley, 210 
Collyer, Robert, 77 
Colton, 184 



Darmstetter, James, 103, 104, 135,. 136, 

138, 139 
Davy, Humphrey, 209 
Deems, Charles F., 339, 424, 442 
Dickens, Charles, 276 
Disraeli, Isaac, 150 

Einhorn, David, 125 
Eliot, George, 82, 383 
Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 253, 308, 379, 
417, 446 

! Epictetus, 265 
j Faber, F. W., 365 
1 Farrar, F. W., 128 
j Fenelon, 341 

Forster, George, 250 

Fox, George, 212 

Franklin, Benjamin, 273 

Frothingham, O. B., 291 

Funk, Addie, 387 

Gabriol, Solomon, ib'n, 2, 350 
Geiger, Abraham, 410 
Goethe, 69 

Halevy, Jacob, 352 

Halevy, Jehudah, 63, 71, 89, 323 

Hall, Charles H., 172, 175, 396, 401, 

402 
Heine, Heinrich, 78, 99 
Helps, Sir Arthur, 286 
Henry, M., 211 
Herder, 68 
Herodotus, 416 
huebsch, adolph, 140, 142 
Hirsch, Samuel, 192, 217 
Hirsch, Emil, 228 
Holdheim, Samuel, 29 
Hugo, Victor, 61 
Humboldt, Alexander von, 28 

Isaac, Eleazar. ben, 58 



LIST OF AUTHORS QUOTED. 



Jechiel of Rome, 169 

Joseph, Morris, 454, 455 

josephus, flavius, 54, 80, 321, 369, 421, 

422 
JUD^EUS, PHILO, 3, 5, II, 15, 24, 25, 49, 

200, 245, 330, 369 

Kant, Emanuel, 251 
Kingsley, Charles, 412 
Kohler, K., 191 

Lactantius, 167, 381 

Lavater, 184 

Law, William, 56 

l'estrange, 83 

Lewin, Raphael, D. C, 373 

Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, 

239, 296 
Luther, Martin, 367 

Matheson, 445 

Mason, William, 439 

Malone, Father Sylvester, 376, 378 

Martineau, J., 59 

Maimonides, Moses, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 41, 

42, 43> 45i 4 8 i i3o» *5*i *99i 3^8 
MENCIUS, 167, 329, 417 
Mendelssohn, Moses, 18, 66, 94 
Miller, J. R., 449 
Milton, John, 297, 438 
Mohammed, 4, 176 
Molinos, M. 343 

MONTEFIORE, CLAUDE G., 269, 435, 437, 
447 

Montaigne, 443 

Moore, Thomas, 372 

mozoomdar, protap, chundar, 320 

Moses of Evreux, 19 

Muscato, Jehudah, 161 

Norton, Mrs., 293 

Paine, Thomas, 418 

Pakuda, Bechay, ben Joseph, ib'n, 

198, 397, 433 
Pakudah, Bachiah, ib'n, 397, 433 
Parker, Theodore, 30 
Pascal, Blaise, 255, 463 
Penini, R. Jedaya, 434, 
Plato, 17, 296 
Pliny, 442 



Plutarch, 50 
Pusey, E. B., 322 

Quintillian, 167 

Richter, Jean Paul F., 33, 166, 288, 

341 
Robertson, F. W. 23, 69, 205 
Roscoe, Robert, 282 
Ruskin, John, 249, 337, 357 

Saadyah, R., 226 

Savage, Minot, J., 84, 241, 284, 301, 304, 

384. 44i 
Schubert, Franz, 171 
Seneca, 263, 264, 302, 381, 462 
Sidney, Sir Philip, 60 
Silverman, Joseph, 314 
Simon, Oswald John, 326, 327 
Smith Sidney, 248, 253 
Solis-Cohen, Solomon, 389 

SOUTHEY, 458 

Southwell, Robert, 432 
Stanley, A. P., 248, 277 
Sterling, John, 69 
Synesius, Bishop, 344 

Tauler, John, 177 
Taylor, Jeremy, 219, 357 
Terence, 379 
Theodores, T., 106, 108 
Thoreau, H. D., 231 
Tillitson, 413 
Trench, Richard Ch., 427 

Voysey, Charles, 13, 204, 237, 278, 280, 
281, 324, 354, 400 

Washington, George, 393 
Watts, 458 

Whittier, John Greenleaf, 450 
White, J. Blanco, 463 
Williams, Roger, 182, 183 
Wordsworth, William, 70 
Wuensche, August, 164, 220 

Yedudah, Eleazar, ben, 44, 71, 79, 
100, 224, 227 

Zunz, Leopold, 158 



xx 



(Bob* 



Unless God had been my help, my soul had dwelt 
in the silent Place. When I said : My foot slippeth, 
Thy mercy, O God! upheld me. In the uproar of 
my thoughts Thy comforts appease my soul. — Psalm 
xciv. 17-19. 

The world is not the place of God, God is the 
place of the world. — The Pharisees. 



t$t Creator. 



By the word of the Lord were the heavens made ; 
and all their hosts of stars by the breath of His 
mouth. Let all the earth fear the Lord : let all the 
inhabitants of the world reverence Him. For He 
spake and it was done ; He commanded and it stood 
fast. — From Psalm xxxiii. 



Tf'HOU art Almighty and all creatures are Thy wit- 
nesses, and in honor of this name every creature 
is bound to serve Thee. All things formed are Thy 
servants and worshippers; nor can Thy glory be dimin- 
ished because they worship others besides Thee ; since 
the intention of all is to draw near unto Thee. Un- 
happily, they are as blind men. Though their faces be 
directed to the King's highway, they have strayed from 
the right road. . . . Thy true servants are like 
those who, having their eyes open, travel in the 
straight path, turning from the way neither to the right 
nor to the left till they arrive at the court of the King's 
Palace. Thou art God, who by Thy divinity supportest 
all things formed ; and Thou upholdest all creatures by 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Thy unity. There is no distinction in Thee; for 
although the names of Thy attributes be varied, all 
point to the same end and all is One Mystery. 

Solomon ib'n Gabirol. 

tf^ ORI> of all being, throned afar, 
^ i Thy glory flames from sun and star ; 
Centre and soul of every sphere, 
Yet to each loving heart how near ! 

Grant us Thy truth to make us free, 
And kindling hearts that burn for Thee, 
Till all Thy living altars claim 
One holy light, One holy flame. 



n - £0e (praise of tyt Creator. 

All Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord, and 
Thy pious ones shall bless Thee. Let them speak of 
the glory of Thy kingdom and tell of Thy power. — 
Psalm cxlv. io* u. 



7fr"HERE is an old story, invented by the sages and 
handed down by memory from age to age. They 
say, when God had finished the world, He asked one of 
the angels if aught were wanting on land or on sea, in 
air or in heaven. The angel answered that all was 
perfect; one thing only he desired — speech, to praise 
God's works, or recount them, which would be their 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

praise. The sincerity of truth would be their most 
perfect praise. And the Father approved the angel's 
words, and not long after appeared the race, gifted 
with the muses and with song. This is the ancient 
story; and in consonance with its spirit, I say: It is 
God's peculiar work to benefit, and His creatures' work 
to give Him thanks. p HILO JuDjEUS> 

BET gratitude within each breast 
Exert its high control ; 
Its presence, like an angel-guest, 
Shall sanctify the soul. 

III. Zfy €$W0 of (Bob. 

Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for 
the upright in heart. — Psalm xcvii. u. 



A\ THOU Great Giver of all blessings, preserve us 
from error ! Remove all shadows from our minds 
and enable us to follow the laws of that eternal reason 
by which Thou guidest the world. Thus honored by 
a knowledge of Thy righteous laws, we shall be en- 
abled to honor Thee as feeble mortals should, and 
offer to Thee incessant hymns of praise. For neither 
mortal nor immortal beings can be engaged in nobler 
service than celebrating the Divine Mind which pre- 
sides over all nature. ~ 

Cleanthes. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

QjTLL, things that are in heaven and in earth praise 
^ God. He is the Mighty, the Wise, at once the 
Seen and the Hidden. . . . Every creature knoweth 
its prayer and its praise. The East and the West are 
God's; therefore, whichever way ye turn, there is the 
face of God. He will guide unto Himself all who turn 
to Him. Have faith and let your hearts rest securely 
on the thought of God. 



Mohammed. 



AKj|E still my light upon my way, 
y^. My pilgrim staff and rod, 
My rest by night, my strength by day, 
O, blessed thought of God. 

IV. feefing $ffer (Bob. 



With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merci- 
ful ; with an upright man Thou wilt show Thyself 
upright ; with the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure ; 
and with the froward Thou wilt show Thyself fro- 
ward. — Psalm xviii. 25, 26. 



7t"HE powers of God are ubiquitous; not merely for 
the benefit of pre-eminent men, but also for those 
who seem to be insignificant. To them, too, God gives 
that which harmonizes with the capacity and measure 
of their souls. 

Who is there so without reason and soul as never, 
either voluntarily or involuntarily , to conceive a notion 
of God ? For a sudden apparition of the good fre- 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

quently flits past even the wickedest; but they cannot 
retain or keep hold of it. . . For it quickly passes away 
from those who have lived beyond the bounds of law 
and justice; as, indeed, it would never have visited them 
at all if it were not to convict those who chose evil 
instead of good. 



Philo Jud^eus. 



pf\ASSIONS proud and fierce have ruled me, 
\ft* Fancies light and vain have fooled me, 
But Thy training stern hath schooled me ; 

Now, Lord, 
Take me for thy child, O Lord. 

Groping dim and bending lowly, 
Mortal vision catcheth slowly 
Glimpses of the pure and holy ; 

Now, Lord, 
Open Thou mine eyes, O Lord. 

V. jtnfeing (Bob. 



And ye shall find Me, if ye search for Me with all 
your heart. — Jeremiah xxix. 12, ij, 



OfrFTER a man has acquired the true knowledge of 
^-" God, it must be his aim to surrender his whole 
being to Him and to have his heart constantly filled 
with longing after Him. . . Our intellectual power, 
which emanates directly from God, joins us to Him. 
You have it in your power to strengthen that bond, or 
to weaken it until it breaks. It will be strengthened if 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

you love God above all other things, and weakened if 
you prefer other things to Him. All religious acts, 
such as the reading of Scripture, praying and perform- 
ing of ordinances, are only means to fill our mind with 
the thought of God and free it from worldliness. If, 
however, we pray with the motion of our lips, and our 
face toward the wall, but think all the while of our busi- 
ness, read the Law and think of the building of our 
house, perform ceremonies with our limbs only, whilst 
our hearts are far from God, then there is no difference 
between these acts and the digging of the ground, or 

the hewing of wood. ._ __ 

& Moses Maimonides. 

-T^HE anxious strife, the eager race, 
^^ The cares of self for Thee I leave ; 
Put forth Thy hand, Thy hand of grace, 
Into the ark of love receive, 
Take this poor fluttering soul to rest, 
And still it, Father; on Thy breast. 

vi. M Zfym QBe M0. 

And God said, Let there be light : and there was 
light. And God saw the light, that it was good. — 
Genesis i, j. 



AVJ ARK well, my soul, this first creative word of the 
V Almighty and let not the night of sorrows so set- 
tle over and envelop thy heart that no brightness can 
pierce it. Close not the eye against a star of hope if it 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

rise in the gloomy sky. Flee not from the streak in the 
East, which announces the return of the morning. It 
is God who says: " Let there be light: " and wilt thou 
answer: Nay, it shall be darkness? It is God who says: 
" the light is good:" and wilt thou answer : It is not 
good for me ? Rather say to thyself with the Seer : 
Arise, shine ! for my light is coming. 

(jr. (jr. 

Who is there amongst you that feareth the Lord, 
that obeyeth the voice of His servants, that walketh in 
darkness, and hath no light ? let him trust in the Lord 
and stay upon his God. — Isaiah, /, 10. 

« • 

/^K^EAR on, brave soul, bear on thy load ; 
>0^ But let no deeper shadows fall 
Across thy steep and rocky road 
Than He doth send who ruleth all. 



VII. Zfo <B»oobne06 of <B»ob. 

Only goodness and mercy shall follow me all the 
days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of God 
for all the length of time. — Psalm xxiii, 6. 



*lT cannot be said of God that He directly creates evil, 
^ or that He has the intention to create it; this is im- 
possible. His works are all good and perfect. He only 
produces existence, and all existence is good. But 
evils are of a negative character and cannot be acted 
upon. * n The Book which enlightened the darkness of 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the world, says therefore: "And God saw everything 
that He had made, and behold, it was very good." 
Death and all other evils are likewise good for the per- 
manence of the Universe and the continuation of the 
order of things ; one thing departs and another suc- 
ceeds. Rabbi Meir, therefore, explains the words "and 
behold, it was very good " by saying that even death 
was good. Consider this and you will understand all 
that the prophets and our sages remarked about the 
perfect goodness of all the direct works of God. 

Moses Maimonides. 

lYlE good distressed ! t 

f^j Ye noble few ! who here unbending stand 
Beneath Life's pressure — yet bear up awhile ; 
And what your bounded view, which only saw 
A little part, deem'd evil, is no more ; 
The storms of wintry time will quickly pass, 
And one unbounded Spring encircle all. 

VIII. Zfy justice of (Bob. 

All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, to 
such as keep His covenant and His testimonies. — 
Psalm xxv. 10. 



7j"HE soul, w T hen accustomed to superfluous things, 
acquires a strong habit of desiring others, which 
are neither necessary for the preservation of the indi- 
vidual, nor for that of the species. This desire is zvith- 
out limit; whilst things which are necessary are few, and 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



o 



restricted within certain bounds. Lay this well t 
heart, reflect on it again and again; that which is super- 
fluous is without end [and titer e fore the desire for it also 
without limit). Thus you desire to have your vessels 
of silver, but golden vessels are still better ; others have 
even vessels studded with sapphires, emeralds or rubies. 
Those, therefore, who are ignorant of this truth, that 
the desire for superfluous things is without limit, are 
constantly in trouble and pain. They expose themselves 
to great dangers by sea-voyages, or in the service of 
Kings. When they thus meet with the consequences of 
their course they complain of the judgments of God; 
they go so far as to say that God's power is insufficient, 
because He has given to this Universe the properties 
which they imagine cause these evils. 

Moses Maimonides. 

fltAVE me alike from foolish pride 
^r Or impious discontent 
At aught Thy wisdom has denied, 
Or aught Thv goodness lent. 

IX. £0e (Boooneee of (Bob'0 TEorl 

For affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither 
doth trouble spring out of the ground. — Job. v. 6. 



/\V| EN frequently think that the evils in the world are 
^~ more numerous than the o^ood things; manv sav- 
ings and songs of the nations dwell on this idea. They 
say that the good is found only exceptionally, whilst 



SUN AND SHIELD, 

evil things are numerous and lasting. The origin of 
this error is to be found in the circumstance that men 
judge of the whole universe by examining one single 
person, believing that the world exists for that one 
person only. If anything happens to him contrary to 
his expectation, forthwith they conclude that the whole 
universe is evil. All mankind at present in existence 
form only an infinitesimal portion of the permanent uni- 
verse. It is of great advantage that man should know 
his station. Numerous evils to which persons are ex- 
posed are due to the defects existing in the persons 
themselves. We seek relief from our own faults; we 
suffer from evils which we inflict on ourselves; and we 
ascribe them to God, who is far from connected with 
them. As Solomon explained it : The foolishness of man 
perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the 
Lord.— Prov. xix. j. Moses Maimonides. 



TD 



HEN thou hast thanked the Lord for every blessing sent, 
What time will then remain for murmur and lament ? 



X. £0e &uxpxmnt (Bob. 

In all thy ways acknowledge God, and He will 
direct thy paths. — Prov. in. 6. 

Thou wilt kindle my light ; the Lord, my God^ 
will illume my darkness. — Psalm xviii. 28. 



3 HAVE often left my kinsmen, friends and coun- 
try, and betaken myself to the desert, that I 
might see some higher vision ; and it has profited me 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

nothing; my thoughts, scattered, or impelled by passion, 
have not reached their goal. Sometimes, on the other 
hand, in a crowded assembly I have held my mind 
in solitude, and God has silenced the turmoil in my soul, 
and taught me that it is not the difference of places 
that works the good thought, but it is God who moves 
and guides the chariot of the soul wiierever he prefers. 

PHILO JlJDiEUS. 

jfr^H, let my converse, Lord, with Thee, 
^S From bonds of errors set me free ; 
And let Thy light within my mind 
Remove the shades that keep me blind. 

Grant me the power, the right to see, 
To love the good and follow Thee ; 
And in that power oh, grant the love 
Of all on earth, of God above. 

xi. £0e (Bob m *Wot$ip. 

I am the Everlasting ; that is my name : and my 
glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to 
graven images. — Isaiah xlii.8. 



OfYlHAT Being do we worship ? It is the Being to 
whom our reason points, in whom the heart 
takes refuge ; it is the Being whom the philosopher and 
the searcher of nature ultimately acknowledge as the 
cause of causes. About the gods of the heathen you can- 
not know anything unless you know their history ; but 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the God of Israel is high above all that happens on earth 
or in heaven. Suppose the Bible were lost, and all the 
literature appertaining to it likewise, and no Israelite 
left to bear his testimony — what would ensue ? Human 
thought would immediately set out to seek Him; for 
the human mind cannot abandon Him. How far sur- 
passing the highest human intelligence is He, and yet 
how near to us! He is the God of the oppressed, and 
not of the oppressor; He is the God of the weak, and 
not of the overbearing; He is the God that hears the 
cry of the downtrodden, and arms His messengers with 
power to deliver them. G. G. 

^V) AS it not told you from the first : 
"~ He faints not, tires not ever ? 
He still is merciful as erst, 

His goodness waneth never. 
Then trust to Him in all your way, 
He knows not darkness nor decay. 



XII. £&in$ift$ ggmne to d5ob. 

I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise 
shall ever be in my mouth. O praise the Lord with 
me and let us magnify His name together. — Psalm 
xxxiv. j. 

The chiefest and divinest hymn (to God) should be 
for His having given us the power of understanding 
and of dealing rationally with ideas. Nay — since 
most of you are utterly blind to this — ought there not 

12 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

to be someone to make this his special function, and to 
sing the hymn to God for all the rest ? What else 
can a lame old man, like me, do but sing hymns to 
God ? If I were a nightingale, I should do the work 
of a nightingale ; if a swan, the work of a swan ; but 
being, as I am, a rational being, I must sing hymns to 
God. This is my work ; this I do ; this rank — as far 
as I can — I will not leave ; and I invite you to join 
with me in this same song. — Epictetus. 



7^"HIS is a lesson we all need to be perpetually re- 
minded of, viz: — that the only pathway to the de- 
lights of true religion lies through self-control and self- 
conquest. We cannot attain our freedom as God's dear 
children in any other way. And it was only because 
Epictetus had learned how to conquer himself, how to 
surrender his own will to the will of God, that poor as 
he was, slave as he was, lame as he was, despised and 
persecuted as he was, nevertheless he was the happiest 
of men. At what an enviable height he stands above 
us poor grumblers, when he says, " I must sing hymns 
to God — this is my work — this I will do." 

Come then and sing with us your gladdest songs, 
singing not only with tuneful voice, but in the music 
of a high and noble life, and in the harmony of a soul 
at perfect peace with God and with men ; singing not 
only with the lark in the sunlit sky, but when beaten 
down by the storms of early misfortune and when 
entering the dark valley of the shadow of death — 

" I will fear no evil for Thou art with me." 

Charles Voysey. 



i? 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



ij^OME ye that love the Lord, 
^^ And let your joys be known ; 
Join in a song with sweet accord, 
And thus surround His throne. 



XIII. 3nteffectuaf <WorB0i? of <£ob. 



With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; 
yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early 
— Isaiah xxvi. <p. 



^YlHEN you are alone by yourself, when you are 
awake on your couch, be careful to meditate in 
such precious moments on nothing but on the intellec- 
tual worship of God; approach Him and minister before 
Him in this true manner, and not merely in thoughtless 
emotion. . . . But our heart can be constantly with 
God even whilst we are in the society of men. . . . Let 
us pray and beseech Him that He Himself may clear 
and remove from our way everything that obstructs our 
approach or forms a partition between Him and us, 
albeit those obstacles are mostly of our own creating. 

Moses Maimonides. 

./feVTHER ! replenish with Thy grace 
jjjj This longing heart of mine, 
Make it Thy quiet dwelling-place, 

Thy sacred inmost shrine ! 
Forgive that oft my spirit wears 

Her time and strength in trivial cares, 
Enfold her in Thy changeless peace, 

So she from all but Thee may cease ! 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XIV. g#e ©eeper ^enee of <B>ratitufce. 



— Now, our God, we thank Thee and praise Thy 
glorious name. But who am I and what is my people 
that we should be able to offer so willingly after this 
sort? For all things come of Thee, and of Thine 
own have we given Thee. — From the prayer of 
dedication by David. — / Chron. xxix. ij, 14. 



AVIOSES has shown that we should all confess our 
^- gratitude for the powers we possess. The 

wise man should dedicate his sagacity, the eloquent 
man his speech, to the praise of God; the physicist 
should offer to Him his physics, the moralist his 
ethics, the scientist his science, and the artist his art ; 
the sailor his succesful voyage, the husbandman his 
harvest, the herdsman the increase of his cattle; the 
physician the recovery of his patients, the general his 
victory, the statesman his chieftaincy, the monarch his 
rule. Let no one, therefore, however lowly in station 
despair or scruple to become a suppliant of God." . . . 

Philo JUDiEUS. 

In the days of Messiah, says the Talmud, every kind 
of altar gift shall cease, save only the thanksoffering. 

>|^REAT God ! my joyful thanks to Thee 
^*-^ Shall, like Thy gifts, continual be; 
In constant streams Thy bounty flows, 
No end nor intermission knows. 

15 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XV. £fl e fcfanftfuf %wd. 

That I may make the voice of thanksgiving to be 
heard, and tell of Thy wondrous works. — Psalm 
xxvi 7. 

^F one should give me a dish of sand, and tell me 
^ there were particles of iron in it, I might look for 
them with my eyes and search for them with my 
clumsy fingers, and be unable to detect them; but 
let me make a magnet and sweep through it, and 
how would it draw to itself the almost invisible 
particles by the mere power of attraction ! The 
unthankful heart, like my fingers in the sand, discover 
no mercies; but let the thankful heart sweep through 
the day, and as the magnet finds the iron, so it will 
find in every hour some heavenly blessings — only the 
iron in God's hand is gold. H. W. Beecher. 



@ 



THOUSAND blessings, Lord, to us Thou didst impart- 
We ask one blessing more — O Lord ! a thankful heart. 



XVI. £0 e (ptagew of t0e <Wt«e. 



Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your 
trust in the Lord. — Psalm iv. 4. 5. 

God is in heaven, and thou art on earth ; therefore 
let thy words be few. — Ecclesiastes v. 2. 



7^ HE Lacedaemonians, when they offer sacrifice, 
pray simply that they may obtain what is honor- 
able and good, without farther stating what that should 

16 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

be. This language is acceptable to the gods, more ac- 
ceptable than the costly festivals of Athens. It has 
procured for the Spartans more continued prosperity 
than the Athenians have enjoyed; the gods honor wise 
and just men — that is, men who know what they ought 
to say and to do, both towards God and towards men, 
more than those who make numerous and splendid 

0fferingS - Plato. 

3F thou hast yesterday thy duty done, 
And thereby cleared firm footing for to-day, 
Whatever clouds make dark to-morrow's sun, 
Thou shalt not miss thy solitary way. — Goethe. 

Say, what is prayer when it is prayer indeed ? 
The mighty utterance of a mighty need. 

The man is praying who doth press with might 
Out of his darkness into God's own light. 

All things that live from God their sustenance wait, 
And sun and moon are beggars at his gate. 

XVII. £0e Oeemiftng (pot&er. 

The Lord is the true God ; He is the living God 
and King everlasting. He hath made the earth by 
His power; He hath established the world by His 
wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by His in- 
sight. — Jeremiah x. 10, 12. 



T^HE evil-doer, w r ho is a slave to his passions, destroys 
the peace of his soul, thereby causing his own tin- 
happiness; for harmony and unity are the beatitude of 



17 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

spirits. But he cannot disturb the order of the whole, 
over which omnipotence watches with inplacable vigor; 
his actions must, in the end, conform to God's all-wise 
intentions. His providence overrules the conflict of 
human passions as well as that of the elemental forces. 
Tyranny and lust serve His Divine behests, as does 
thunder and earthquakes. Ultimately all evil, moral 
and physical, must change into good and all forces 
chime in with the great symphony of praise, sounding 
from all parts of the world. O ! Thou primal Source 
of wisdom, teach us to be wise, that we may be truly 
happy ; teach us to comprehend Thy goodness, and to 
enjoy Thy blessings, in accordance with the kindness 
and abundance with which Thy hand bestows them on 
us. The trials of our life, oh, help us to bear them 
contentedly, yea, even thankfully ; since Thou canst do 
no wrong, and all Thy decrees are done in wisdom and 
in mercy. 

Moses Mendelssohn. 



^VjAIT oh my soul, thy Maker's will 
^^ Tumultuous passions all be still., 
Nor let one murmuring thought arise : 
His ways are just, His counsels wise. 

In heaven and earth, in air and seas. 
He executes His wise decrees. 
Know this alone, and be at rest 
That what He does is ever best. 

iS 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XVIII. (meeting Wiffl (Bob. 



Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel ; for lo, He 
that formeth the mountains and createth the wind, and 
declareth unto man what is his thought. . . the 
Lord, the God of hosts is His name. — Amos iv. ij. 



HflhHATEVER Thou doest or proposest to do, forget 
not that thou standest before God; before Him 
whose glory fills the earth, whose majesty rules over 
thee. Study the Divine Law as often as possible, al- 
ways with the view of ordering thy life in accordance 
with it. When thou closest the book, ask thyself 
whether there was anything in what thou didst read 
that thou shouldst carry out ; morning and evening ex- 
amine thine actions and try thy heart; so will thy 
whole life be pure by means of repentance. During 
prayer remove every thought from thy heart foreign to 
thy communion with God; weigh thy words ere thou 
dost utter them, this will put thy soul into that state in 
which it is prepared to meet with God. In general I 
counsel thee to be considerate and careful in thy speech ; 
not to be hasty and thoughtless whilst at thy meals. 
Shun the company of the proud mocker, and walk thou 
in humility with thy God; then wilt thou pursue the 
right path, and thy prayers will be pure and acceptable 
in heaven. 

MOSES OF EVREUX, 

[XIII Century.) 

*9 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



/JT\ WHERE'ER our path may lie, 
^■w Father let us not forget 
That we walk beneath Thine eye, 

That Thy care upholds us yet. 
Blind are we, and weak and frail, 

Be Thine aid forever near ; 
May the fear of sin prevail 

Over every other fear. 



XIX. £0e 3nt»atb Wittim of <£ob. 

And Moses said : I pray Thee, if I have found 
grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way that I may 
know Thee, and ever find grace in Thy sight. And 
He said : My presence shall go with thee, and I will 
give thee rest. . . Thou canst not see my face ; for 
there shall no man see me and live. — Exodus xxxiii. 

^Y)HENCE man's thirst for knowledge, his joy in finding 
truth, his gladness in doing good to others ; above 
all, whence this mysterious voice that tells him : This 
thou shalt do, and that thou shalt leave undone? What 
is it that drives noble-minded men and women to pest- 
breeding houses, and the more loathsome scenes in the 
haunts of vice, if so be that by their purity and self- 
sacrifice, they may redeem some lives ? If this world is 
indeed but a soulless mechanism, and no trace of a God 
to be found anywhere in all its immensities, then man 
is God ; but, alas ! not an omnipotent, but an impotent 
one. Woe to him that he should feel and think God- 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

like, yet be at the mercy of a stone, an insect, a microbe. 
Then reason is a curse, and the feeling heart a calamity. 
. . . But all is changed the moment we say to our 
soul: Be still, my times are in God's hands. Then we 
see the source whence our own soul-life flowed. Over 
the dark horizon breaks the central sun that illumines 
the world, and brings light and rest to our own minds. 

G. G. 



© 



SOLEMN thought ! 
That trumpet sound : I ought, I ought ! 
Which, though a thousand times I fall, 
Unbroken keeps it's solemn call ; 
Nor passion's storm, nor reasoning art 
Can silence in the wayward heart. 



XX. £0e QKnottn <£ob. 



They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy 
mountain ; for the earth shall be full of the knowl- 
edge of God as waters cover the earth. — Isaiah xi y g. 



A^ONTRARY to the idea of the modern agnostic, the 
Hebrew seer predicts the redemption of mankind 
from the evils which stalk in its midst, as a result of the 
universal knowledge of God; so universal, indeed, that, 
as it is said elsewhere, no man will say to his neighbor: 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

know God ! For they shall all know Him, from the great- 
est even unto the least. But, of course, we must 
keep in mind what kind of knowledge the prophet was 
thinking of. We are not left in doubt about this. Per- 
haps the most complete definition of it is found in the 
declaration : Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom ; 
let not the mighty man glory in his might ; let not the 
rich man glory in his riches ; let him that glories glory 
in this, that He knoweth Me and understandeth that I 
am the Lord who exercises loving kindness, justice and 
righteousness in the earth, and that in these things I 
delight, saith the Lord (Jer. ix., 23, 24). We see clearly 
that this is not a knowledge pursued merely to flatter 
human reason, or to place dominion into the hand of 
the powerful, or to enrich those that dispense wealth ; 
no, but such a knowledge shall make the throne of the 
Allruler of the world the seat of loving kindness, justice 
and righteousness, and all who seek these graces, and 
they alone, are the servants in whom the Lord de- 
lighteth. 

G. G. 



God appears : 
In the best thought, 
In the truest speech, 
In the sincerest action. 
And his bounty- 
Is manifested 
In the bounty 
Of great hearts. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXI. Qtearer tng <B>ob to £#ee! 



Whom have I in heaven but Thee ? and there is 
none upon earth whom I desire besides Thee. — Psalm 
Ixxiii, 25. 



7^HE question is asked: Why is this world unsatisfy- 
ing? It is the grandeur of the soul which God has 
given us, which makes it insatiable in its desires — with 
an infinite void which cannot be filled up, a soul which 
was made for God, how can the world fill it ? If the 
ocean can be still with miles of unstable waters beneath 
it, then, the soul of man, rocking itself upon its own 
deep longings, with the Infinite beneath it, may rest. 
. . . There is nothing left for us but to fill up the hol- 
lowness of the soul with God. 

But let not that expression — filling the soul with God- 
pass away without a distinct meaning. God is love and 
goodness. Fill the soul with goodness, and fill the soul 
with love — that is the filling it with God. If we love 
one another God dwelleth within us. 

F. W. Robertson. 

/^ 1 NTO the house of peace my spirit yearns, 
\*j Unto the source of being my soul turns ; 
To where the sacred light of heaven burns, 
She struggles thitherward by day and night. 

To her the wonder of God's works appear ; 
She longs with fervor Him to draw anear ; 
The tidings of His glory doth she hear 

From morn to even and trom night to night. — Jehudah HaUvi. 

23 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



xxii. £0 e gtccepteb <B?ot#j>. 



Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even 
unto me with all your heart and with fasting and 
with weeping and with mourning; and rend your 
heart and not your garment ; for the Lord is gracious 
and merciful . . . — Joel it. 12, ij. 



(2T)0 not seek for the City of God on earth, for it is 
not built of wood or stone; but seek it in the 
soul of the man who is at peace with himself and is a 
lover of true wisdom. 

If a man practices ablutions of the body, but defiles 
his mind ; if he offers hecatombs, founds a temple, 
adorns a shrine, and does nothing for making his soul 
beautiful; let him not be called religious. He has 
wandered far from real religion, mistaking ritual for holi- 
ness ; attempting, as it were, to bribe the Incorruptible 
and to flatter Him whom none can flatter. God wel- 
comes the genuine service of a soul, the sacrifice of 
truth, but from display of wealth He turns away. 

Will any man with impure soul and with no inten- 
tion to repent, dare to approach the most High God ? 
The grateful soul of the wise man is the true altar of 
God. _ T 

PHILO JUDiEUS. 

/Jf%H, were it not for mercy such as Thine, 

^•^ How could the conscious sinner seek Thy shrine ? 

How hope for grace, when long arrears of sin 

Recorded stand upon the soul within ? 

But Thou, O Lord, with clemency Divine, 

Wilt not the guilty to despair consign. 

24 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIII. (Reference (Bob ano J)efy (ttten. 



Ve are blessed of the Lord who made heaven 
and earth. The heaven is the heaven of God, but 
the earth hath He given to the children of men. — 
Psalm cxv. ij, 16. 



AOME people attaching themselves to one portion of 
™ the Decalogue, neglect the other. For, filled with 
the unmixed draught of religous yearning, they bid 
farewell to all other occupations and dedicate their 
whole life to God. Others, who believe there is no good 
beyond well-doing towards men, care only for human 
intercourse; and, by their social zeal, share their pos- 
sessions with their fellows and seek to alleviate distress 
to the utmost of their power. Now, both the exclu- 
sive lover of man and the exclusive lover of God, we 
may rightly call half perfect. The perfectly virtuous 

are those who excel in both. _. T 

Philo Jud^eus. 

Reverence God and help men ; there is but one fruit 
of this earthly life : a holy disposition and social acts. 

Antoninus. 

3N the work that no gold payeth, 
Where he speedeth best who prayeth, 
Doeth most who little sayeth — 

There, Lord, 
Let me work Thy will, O Lord. 

25 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



xxiv. tfc <£ b of tge (Boob. 



The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine ; 
as for the world and the fullness thereof, Thou hast 
fouuded it. — Psalm Ixxxix. u. 



^\YlE worship the pure one, the Lord of Purity. We 
worship the Universe of the true spirit, visible and 
invisible, and all that sustains the welfare of the good 
creation. We praise all good thoughts, all good deeds 
which are and will be; all that keeps pure, all that is 
good. We worship the wise One who formed and fur- 
thered the life of the earth. We worship the wise One 
with our bodies and with our souls. We worship Him, as 
being united with the spirits of pure men and women. 

The world were an empty tablet if Thou hadst not 
written thereon Thy eternal thought. Persian. 

O Thou merciful One, who art exalted above all im- 
perfections, descend into our intellects and purge us 
from every ill. Turn our sorrows into joys. To Thee 
do we cling. From Thee all kings seek their light. 
Thou art the helper of mankind, one and all. Thou art 
the hope of the worlds. Sabian Liturgy. 

^^HESE are Thy glorious works, Parent of Good, 
^^ Almighty ! This Thine universal fame, 
Thus wondrous fair ; Thyself how wondrous then, 
Unspeakable, who sitt'st above these heavens, 
To us invisible, or dimly seen 
In these Thy lowest works ! Yet, there declare 
Thy goodness beyond thought and power divine ! 

26 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXV. Zfc gof? anb (tttercifuf (Bob. 



Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good and 
to them that are upright in their hearts. — Psalm cxxv. 4. 



T^HINK of the Lord with a good heart and seek Him 
in simplicity. For He will be found of them that 
tempt Him not and showeth Himself unto such as do 
not distrust Him ; froward thoughts separate from God ; 
and His power, when it is tried, reproacheth the un- 
wise. Into a malicious soul wisdom shall not enter, nor 
dwell in the body that is subject unto sin. . .. God's 
power is the beginning of righteousness; and because 
He is the Lord of all, He is gracious unto all. Thou, 
O God, mastering Thy power, judgest with equity and 
orderest all with great favor; for Thou mayest use power 
when Thou wilt. But by such works hast Thou taught 
Thy people that the just man should be merciful, and 
hast made Thy children to be of good hope that Thou 
for repentance forgivest sins. To know Thee is perfect 
righteousness; yea, to know Thee is the root of immor- 
tality. 

From the Wisdom of Solomon. 



7j HY righteousness we can discern, 
^^ Thy holy Law proclaim and learn ; 
Is not Thy presence near alway, 
To them who penitently pray ? 
Thy holiness forever they proclaim. 
The Lord of Hosts, thrice holy is His name. 



27 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXVI §com QUfute to (nature's <£ob. 



Thus saith the Lord, the heaven is my throne and 
the earth is my footstool : where is the house that ye 
can build unto me ?- — Isaiah Ixvi. i. 

Who hath measured the waters as in the hollow 
of his hand and meted out heaven with the span, and 
comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure 
and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in 
a balance ? — Isaiah xl. i2. 



^T is a characteristic of the poetry of the Hebrews, 
V that, as a reflex of monotheism, it always embraces 
the universe in its unity, comprising both terrestrial 
life and the luminous realms of space. It dwells but 
rarely on the individuality of phenomena, preferring the 
contemplation of great masses. The Hebrew poet does 
not depict nature as a self-dependent object, glorious 
in its individual beauty, but always in relation and 
subjection to a higher spiritual power. . . Hebrew 
poetry is grand and solemn, but when it treats on the 
earthly condition of mankind it is full of sad and pen- 
sive longing. It never loses the restraint of measure, 
as does the poetry of India. Devoted to the pure con- 
templation of the Divinity, it remains clear and self- 
possessed in the midst of the most figurative forms of 
expression. Alexander v. Humboldt. 

-TJ-'HE Lord is King ! Lift up thy voice, 
V/' O earth, and all ye heavens rejoice ! 
From world to world the joy shall ring ; 
The Lord Omnipotent is King. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 
XXVII. £0e QXnfy of (Bob. 

Hear O Israel, the Lord, our God, the Lord is One. 

Tf'HAT in this sentence is enclosed the kernel of our 
teachings concerning God, all those know and feel 
who rise in the morning for their daily work and com- 
mend their spirits into God's hand every evening with 
that watchword on their lips. Its verbal enclosure also 
is worthy of our attention as an expression of our love to 
God, as a source of piety and a refuge in the day of 
trouble. Thus we say our God ! God is the creator of 
man, but in a sense, man is the creator of his God. 
True, His being is independent of our knowledge and 
recognition ; yet He exists for our soul only in so far 
as we know Him. True, He is a loving Father even 
to those who never know Him or who deny Him ; just 
as a mother tends her babe, long before it can rew r ard 
her love with the faintest smile of recognition. But for 
man's consciousness God is not, before his heart has felt 
His presence, before he can say with those who have 
seen the father : He is our God and He alone, for He is 
One and no other. . . and not until this joyful and 
exultant call rings out from the heart of mankind, will 
the Kingdom of Heaven be established on earth, 

Samuel Holdheim. 

nfT fortifies my soul to know 

%J That, though I perish, Truth is so : 

Thathowso'er I stray and range, 

Whate'er I do, Thou dost not change. 

I steadier step, when I recall 

That, when I slip, Thou dost not fall. 

29 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

xxviii. (CfcSogofGbfc 



Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God, 
my exceeding joy. — Psalm xliii. 4. 

The joy of God is your strength. — Nehemiah 
viii. jo. 



Pfi'LL these — the love of truth and beauty, of justice 
^ and right, of men — are but parts of the great in- 
tegral piety, the love of God, the Author of truth, of 
justice and of love. The normal delight in God's world, 
the animal joy in material things, the intellectual in 
truth and beauty, the moral in justice and rights the af- 
f ectional delight in the persons of men, the satisfaction 
of labor, of hand or head — all these are a part of our 
large delight in God ; for religion is not one thing, and 
life another, but the two are one. The normal and con- 
scious worship of the Infinite God will enlarge every 
faculty, enhancing its quantity and quality of delight. 
.... I love the Infinite God as the ideal of all perfec- 
tion. With this there vanishes away all fear of ultimate 
evil for anything that is. . . As nocturnal darkness, or 
the gray mist of horror, is chased away before the ris- 
ing sun, so dread and horror flee off before the footsteps 
of love. A sense of complete and absolute trust in God 
comes in, gives repose and peace, filling you with tran- 
quility and dear delight in God. 

Theodore Parker. 
30 



SD'N AND SHIELD. 

Jr^ THOU, the primal fount of life and peace, 

W^ Who shedd'st Thy breathing quiet all around, 

In me command that pain and contlict cease, 

And turn to music every jarring sound. 

So, firm in steadfast hope, in thought secure, 

In full accord to all Thy world of joy, 

May T be nerved to labors high and pure, 

And Thou, Thy child, to do Thy work employ. 



XXIX. Zfc Spirit of (Bob. 

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the 
Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto 
the meek ; He hath sent me to bind up the broken 
hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the 
opening of the prison to them that are bound. Isaiah 
Ixi. i. 

^JlHAT need is there for us to attempt an exact defi- 
nition of what this spirit of God and what its 
relation to the Deity is, and by what door, and in 
what manner it descends upon man? The signs of its 
presence cannot be mistaken; signs, not of time, but 
of eternity; the same yesterday, to-day and to-morrow. 
Go and bring good tidings to the humble and the lowly ; 
go and bind up the broken hearted ; go and proclaim 
liberty to captives; captives in the fetters of sin, in the 
chains of superstition, in the bonds of worldliness; go, 
if thou hast the power to do so, open the door of their 
prison and let the slave go forth in the power and 
dignity of his manhood; and then you shall know that 

3* 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the spirit of God is upon you. If you can do this, there 
will enter into your heart a feeling of joy, of peace, and 
of hope, such as no other spiritual experience brings ; 
and if you are amongst those " who mourn for Zion," 
it will give you ''beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for 
mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heavi- 
ness." But that sacred spirit is grieved away the 
moment it is touched by pride, and when you imagine 
you can exorcise it by formulas, and retain it by dog- 
matic cords. The throne of grace is either accessible 
to all human hearts, or to none, and the spirit of God 
comes in answer to all yearning prayers, or it is deaf to 
all alike. Brethren, it is altogether in your hands to 
find out where the truth lies. 



G. G. 



A"\ THOU, whose power o'er moving worlds presides, 
^^ Whose voice created and whose wisdom guides ; 
'Tis Thine alone to calm the yearning breast, 
With silent confidence and holy rest. 



XXX. Zfy <Bob of <tff £oufe. 



Thou hast been our refuge in all generations, be- 
fore the mountains were brought forth, or ere Thou 
hadst formed the earth and the world — yea, from 
eternity to eternity Thou art God. — Psalm xc, 1-2. 



/ftTOD is eternity — God is truth — God is holiness, He has 

nothing; he is all; the whole heart conceives Him, 

but no thought ; and we are only His thought, when He is 



32 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ours. All that is infinite and incomprehensible in man 
is His reflection; but beyond this let not the awestricken 
thought go. Creation hangs as a veil, woven out of 
suns and spirits over the infinite; and the eternities pass 
by before the veil, and cannot draw it away from the 
splendor which it hides. 

Jean Paul F. Richter. 

Every soul that maketh choice of justice, shall attain 
unto God. From the moment that I heard: " I have 
breathed into man a portion of my spirit," I was assured 
that we were His and He ours. Human knowledge 
and thought can only spell the first letter of the alpha- 
bet of God's love. 

Persian. 

Jf\ Thou, the cool shade at the door of weariness ! 

^^ Even the wicked are panting for Thee. 

A drop from the rain of Thy compassion 

Cleanses me from all my blackness. 

Do Thou accept me with Thy children, 

O Thou, my God, and God of all ! 

Persian* 



33 



QYlan 



O Solemn thought ! 
Gods' image in my being wrought ! 
God's likeness in my frailty cast ! 
God's presence, for all space too vast, 
Abiding in this little tent, 
But for my earthly journey lent. 

The place where the repentant sinner stands, 
can not be reached by him that never sinned. — 
The Pharisees. 



(Ulan— pinner dnb Jsfotnt 



Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity and 
cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my 
transgressions and my sin is ever before me. — Psalm 

H. 2, J. 



(Y\0 doubt, we are sinners, all of us, yet only because 
^ we are saints also ; nay, it may be said in sober 
truth that the first pang of conscience, in the child or 
the child-man, is the first pulse-beat of the awakening 
saint; the first blush of shame, mantling his face is the 
streak of dawn of the new day. It reveals to us what 
we ought to be and might be ; and what in part we are 
already ; the ever-deepening sense of our un worthiness 
is caused only by our growing worthiness and the un- 
folding of the saint within us. This is the precious 
fruit of repentance and this the reasonableness of what, 
otherwise, would be without reason, since no amount 
of castigation can undo the done. Every true con- 
fession of sin is an homage to virtue, and also to Him 
who wrought that ideal into our nature. No doubt, our 
Creator meant us for sinners of the saintly kind, else 
would He have made us " but little lower than angels" ? 
The Psalmist adds " and crowned him with glory and 



37 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

honor ; " what is this glory, this honor ? His imper- 
fections, over which he mourns, and changes into per- 
fections, whilst yet he is sitting in sackcloth and ashes. 

G. G. 

f^O the path of life to win us, 

V/' Thou, O God, didst plant within us 

Aspirations high and bright. 
Bring us to Thy presence nearer, 
Let us see Thy glories clearer, 

Till all mists shall melt in light. 



n. g#e Cw> QUfuree in (tttan. 

Who can know his errors ? Cleanse Thou me, O 
God, from secret faults ! Keep back Thy servant 
from presumptuous sins ; let them not have dominion 
over me ; then shall I be upright altogether, and inno- 
cent of great transgressions. — Psalm xix. 12, ij. 



^HE divine mind dwells with the man of humble 
spirit, and he who keepeth himself lowly doth as 
much, as though he offered up all the burnt-sacrifices 
that ever were enjoined. 

It is because man is half angel, half brute, that his 
inner life witnesses such bitter war between such un- 
like natures. The brute in him clamors for sensual joy 
and things in which there is only vanity ; but the angel 
resists and strives to make him know that meat, drink, 
sleep, are but means whereby the body may be made 

38 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

sufficient for the study of the truths and the doing of 
the will of God. Not until the very hour of death can 
it be certain or known to what measure the victory has 
been won. He who is but a novice in the fear of God 
will do well to say audibly each day, as he rises: This 
day will I be a faithful servant of the Almighty; will 
be on my guard against wrath, falsehood, hatred and 
quarrelsomeness, and will forgive those who wound me. 
For whoso forgives is forgiven in his turn : hard-hearted- 
ness and a temper that will not make up quarrels are a 
heavy burden of sin, and unworthy of an Israelite. 

Moses ben Jacob of Coucy, 

(XIII. Century). 
fyVOW, Lord, what wait I for? 
vj, On Thee alone 
My hope is all rested, — 

Lord, seal me Thine own ! 
Only Thine own to be, 
Only to live to Thee. 

Thine, with each day begun, 

Thine, with each set of sun, 

Thine, till my work is done. 



HI. Sdttwmen — ^effow^innere. 

There is not a just man on earth that doeth good 
always and sinneth not. — EccL vii. 20. 



HE Pharisees taught: Judge not thy neighbor be- 
fore thou hast placed thyself in his stead; after 



39 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

that, try to justify and defend rather than to condemn 
him. They point to Eli, the priest, as an impressive 
warning, since he mistook for a drunken woman one 
who had come to pour out the bitterness of her heart 
before the Lord, simply because " her lips only moved, 
but her voice was not heard." In her defence she used 
the phrase : " Not so, my lord; " words which the rabbis 
construed into a bitter rebuke, reading it in this way : 
Thou art not a true lord and master in Israel, since 
thou didst rashly condemn me instead of judging me on 
the side of innocence. Strange and passing strange it 
is that whilst men insist upon the utter sinfulness of 
man as the cornerstone of the kingdom of the grace of 
heaven, the same fact so rarely avails to open the gates 
of man's own kingdom of mercy towards his fallen 
brother! In a sinking ship or a burning house or a 
pest-stricken city we stop not to ask who, amongst the 
imperilled, is an adopted child of God, and who is not — 
we save whom we can. We are all surrounded by the 
same dangers whilst we dwell on earth, and travel to- 
wards " the unknown and yet well-known gate." Why 
does not the same generous impulse, which wakes up 
only sometimes, dominate our hearts always and make 
us merciful towards our fellow-sinners ? 



G. G. 



.Z&'RAIL creatures are we all ! To be the best 
^j) Is but the fewest faults to have : — 
Look thou, then, to thyself, and leave the rest 
To God, thy conscience, and the grave. 



40 



IV. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



t$t (pure geart. 

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and a firm 
spirit renew within me. — Psalms li. 12. 



T^HERE is a well-known saying of our sages. " The 
thoughts about committing a sin are a greater 
evil than the sin itself." I can offer a good explanation 
of this strange dictum. When a person is disobedi- 
ent, this is due to certain accidents connected with the 
corporal element in his constitution ; for man sins only 
by his animal nature ; whereas thinking is a faculty con- 
nected with his higher and essential being. A person 
who thinks sinful thoughts sins, therefore, by means of 
the nobler portion of his self; just as he who causes an 
ignorant slave to work unjustly, commits a lesser wrong 
than he who forces a free man or a prince to do menial 
labor. That which forms the true nature of man, with 
all its properties and powers, should only be employed 
in suitable work, in endeavoring to join higher beings, 
and not to sink to the condition of lower creatures. 

Moses Maimonides. 

O^OU can never tell what your thoughts will do 
f^ In bringing you hate or love ; 
For thoughts are things, and their airy wings 

Are swifter than carrier dove. 
They follow the law of the universe — 

Each thing must create its kind ; 
And they speed o'er the track to bring you back 

Whatever went out from your mind. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

V. Zfc (pure £tpe. 



Then I said : woe is me, I am undone; because I 
am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amidst a people 
of unclean lips and mine eyes have seen the King, 
the Lord of hosts. — Isaiah vi. J. 



Q^OU know we condemn lowness of speech, and justly 
^ so ; for the gift of speech is peculiar to man, and a 
boon which God granted to him, that he may 
be distinguished from the rest of living creatures. 
This gift, therefore, which God gave us in order to 
enable us to perfect ourselves, to learn and to teach, 
must not be employed in doing that which is for us 
most degrading and disgraceful. We must not imitate 
the songs and tales of ignorant and lascivious people. It 
may be suitable to them, but it is not fit for those who 
are told : ' ' And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of 
priests and a holy nation." — [Exodus xix. 6.) 

Moses Maimonides. 

In the last Day man shall have to render an ac 
count for every word he has spoken, even in his most 
intimate relations, as that of husband and wife. — 

The Pharisees. 

42 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



VI. Zfy Q&ercifuf %<Att. 



If I have made the eyes of the widow to fail, or 
have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless 
hath not eaten thereof — If I have lifted up my hand 
against him when I saw my help in the gate — then let 
mine arm fall from my shoulder blade and be broken 
from the bone. — Job xxxi. ij./J. 



7j"HERE is a large class of Laws in our Torah, the 
sole purpose of which is to fill our hearts with pity 
for the poor and infirm, to teach us never to hurt 
their feelings, nor wantonly to vex the helpless. 
Mercy, likewise, is the object of the ordinance, "Thou 
shalt not deliver unto his master the slave that is fled 
from his scourge." But in a wider sense, we derive 
from this example the duty to defend those who seek 
our protection; nay, more, we must look after their 
interests, be kind to them and never hurt their feelings 
by harsh and cruel words. 

Moses Maimonides. 

ryiOU can never tell when you do an act 
f^j Just what the result will be ; 
But with every deed you are sowing a seed, 

Though its harvest you may not see. 
Each kindly act is a acorn dropped 

In God's productive soil : 
Though you may not know, yet the tree shall grow 
And shelter the brows that toil. 

43 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



VII. Zfyt fat^fuf % cAxt 



Thou foundest Abraham's heart faithful before 
Thee. — Nehemiah ix. 8. 



7FHE thoughts of thy heart and the imaginations of 
thy soul remain pure if the works of thy hands be 
pure. Fly from all unseemly things ; close thine eyes 
and thine ears from them ; for there be desires which 
cause the soul to be apostate from God. 

Bear well thy heart against the assails of envy ; know 
no envy at all, save such envy of the merits of virtuous 
men as shall lead thee to emulate the beauty of their 
lives. 

Surrender not thyself a slave to hate — that ruin of all 
the heart's good resolves, that destroyer of the very sa- 
vor of food, of our sleep, of all reverence in our souls. 

Let the fear of God breed in thee the habit of silence, 
for much speech can hardly be without some sin. Let 
this be thy rule : Moderate thought in modest words. 

If the peoples had fallen on thee to force thee to apos- 
tatize from thy faith, thou wouldst surely, as did so 
many, have given thy life in its defense. Well, then, 
fight now the fight laid on thee in the better day — the 
fight with evil desires; fight and conquer and make the 
study of the Law thy constant ally. 

Eleazar ben Yehudah, 

{XI I L Century). 

44 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



f T^IS death in life Thy standard to desert ; 
\S 'Tis life in death Thy power to assert. 
Yet passeth me, how I Thy grace shall gain, 
How prove my faith, Thy service how attain ? 
Lead me, O Lord ! upon Thy tranquil way, 
Deliver me from folly's tempting way. 



VIII. #efr(gu&. 



Ye shall not go after the lusting of your hearts and 
your eyes. — Numbers xv. jg. 



AV| AN must have control over all bodily desires. He 
^- must reduce them as much as possible, and only 
retain of them as much as is indispensable. His aim 
must be the aim of man, as man, viz. : the formation and 
perfection of ideas, and nothing else. The best and the 
sublimest among them is the idea which man forms of 
God, angels, and the rest of the creation, according to 
his capacity. Such men are always with God, and of 
them it is said: "Ye are princes, and all of you are 
children of the Most High. ,, . . When man possesses 
a good, sound body that does not overpower, nor dis- 
turb the equilibrium within him, he possesses a divine 
gift. A good constitution facilitates the rule of the 
soul over the body; but it is not impossible to conquer 
a bad constitution by training, and make it subservient 

to man's ultimate destiny. 

Moses Maimonides. 



45 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Among the numerous religious and monastic orders 
of the Moslems, there is one whose symbol is the mystic 
girdle, which they put on and off seven times, saying: 

3 TIE up greediness and unbind generosity ; 
I tie up anger and unbind meekness ; 
I tie up avarice and unbind piety ; 
I tie up ignorance and unbind the fear of God ; 
I tie up passion and unbind the love of God ; 
I tie up hunger (after luxuries) and unbind contentment ; 
I tie up satanism and unbind divineness. 



IX. ^oufc&iBerfg. 

I delight to do Thy will, O God, yea, Thy Law is 
within my heart. — Psah)i xl. 8. 



/ttTOD has granted no monopoly in mental freedom. 
Men of all sects, all schools, all churches, all sys- 
tems may possess it, and, as a matter of fact, do possess 
it in greater or lesser measure. It is pure arrogance 
for any one class to claim it for themselves to the ex- 
clusion of all others. If a man holds on to the literal 
inspiration of his Bible, simply because his reason gives 
her glad and willing assent to the inherited belief, is he, 
on that ground, less free in his mind than he who re- 
jects it, often from mere wantonness? If the Jew still 
bears "the Yoke of the Law," with all its rabbinical 
accumulations and "fencings round it" — if he does so 

4 6 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

in singleness of heart — does he, therefore, cease to enjoy 
that liberty of soul which is still his, who has cast off the 
yoke simply because the restrictions inconvenienced 
him? It is not the what of our beliefs or unbeliefs, but 
the why and the wherefore, that makes the difference 
between bond and free. The savage is not hampered 
by any sense of obligation; shall we, therefore, call him 

the ideal of soul — liberty? 

G. G. 

^frS earth's pageant passes by, 
\yy Let reflection turn thine eye 
Inward, and observe Thy breast; 
There alone dwells solid rest. 
That's a closed immured tower, 
Which can mock all hostile power ; 
To thyself a tenant be, 
And inhabit safe and free. 

X. Confrof dnb €fednftne60. 

Wash you, make you clean ; put away the evil of 
your doings from before mine eyes. Learn to do 
good. — Isaiah i. 16. 



/JfNNE of the objects of the perfect Law is to make man 
reject, disregard, and reduce his desires as much as 
possible. For it is well known that intemperate indul- 
gence of our appetites hinders the ulterior perfection of 
man, impedes his development, disturbs the social order 
of the country, and the economy of the family; it causes 



47 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

an increase of envy, hatred, and warfare. God in His 
wisdom, has therefore given us such commandments as 
would counteract excessive desires and lustings. 

Most of all, the Law is intended to give its followers 
purity and holiness. . . Cleanliness in dress and body, 
by washing and removing of impurities is enjoined by 
the law ; but it must be connected with purity of action, 
and with a heart free from low principles and bad hab- 
its. It would be extremely bad for man to content him- 
self with a purity obtained by washing and cleanliness 
in dress and toilet, and be at the same time voluptuous 
and unrestrained in eating, drinking, and other gratifica- 
tions of the senses. 

Moses Maimonides. 

OfVjE rise by the things that are under feet, 
*^ By what we have mastered of good or gain ; 
By the pride deposed and the passion slain, 
And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet. 



XI. £0e (Boob fft#. 



Turn Thou us unto Thee, O Lord, and we shall 
be turned ; renew our days as of old. — Lamentations 

V. 21* 

From Thee I take refuge to Thee. — 

(Salomon ibn Gabirol.) 



^\\lHILE sin is swift and continuous and frequent, 
repentance is slow and deliberate and in the fu- 
ture. God, the pitying saviour, can easily bring back 



48 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the mind from long wandering, and when it is in an 
evil plight through pleasure and passion — pitiless ty- 
rants that they are — and lead it into the right way, if 
only it has once determined to pursue the good flight 
without turning backward. 

The wicked man bears ruin within him; for there 
dwells within him a designing foe. The conscience of 
the evil-doer is his sufficient punishment; it makes the 
soul cowardly as if it had been struck a heavy blow. 

Conscience is the undefiled high-priest for whose 
perpetual life within the soul we shall do well to pray. 

PHILO JUDiEUS. 
A>BSERVE a pious fear, be whole again, 
^•^ Hasten to purge thy heart from every stain ; 
No more from prayer and penitence refrain, 
But turn unto Thy God by day and night. 



XII. £fcrenttg of Jgouf. 

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me as I 
wait on Thee, O God. — Psalm xxv. 21. 

He that walketh uprightly, walketh surely. — 
Prov. x. q. 

The integrity of the upright shall guide them. — 
Prov. xi. 3. 



(TOOTHING can produce so great a serenity of life, as 
^ a mind free from guilt, and kept untainted not 
only from actions, but purposes that are wicked. By 



49 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

this means the soul will be not only unpolluted, but not 
disturbed; the fountain will run clear and unsullied, 
and the streams that flow from it will be just and hon- 
est deeds, ecstasies of satisfaction, a brisk energy of 
spirit, which makes a man an enthusiast in his joy, and 
of a tenacious memory, sweeter than hope. For as shrubs 
which are cut down with the morning dew upon them, 
do for a long time after retain their fragrancy, so the 
good actions of a wise man perfume his mind and leave 
a rich scent behind them. So that joy is, as it were, 
watered with these essences, and owes its flourishing to 

them. 

Plutarch. 

|K0W happy is he born or taught, 
*jJ Who serveth not another's will; 
Whose armor is his honest thought, 
And simple truth his highest skill. 



XIII. Qttctn— CowoxUx ttiffl (Bob. 

Trust in the Lord and do good ; so shalt thou 
dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be satisfied. 
. . Commit thyself unto the Lord, trust in Him, and 
He shall bring it to pass. — Psalms xxxviu 3, 5> 



Tj^HE soul can only be disappointed by its own faults. 

Duties faithfully performed are ever faithful to 

their promises of recompense ; only we must know what 

50 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

these are, and where to look for them. Trust in God 
is not a narcotic to lull our faculties to sleep; it should, 
on the contrary, energize them. Our own activity is a 
necessary factor in the Providence of God; very little 
can be done for us by proxy. Even the Omnipotent 
cannot make us contented with our condition if we 
prefer to be discontented; cannot give us a minute of 
true happiness, though He place us in a paradise, if we 
choose to be unhappy; merciful as He is, He cannot 
wipe out the record of our sins, if we fail to store up 
memories of the better and the purer life. If we 
make gold our god, He will let us ; but He cannot help us 
when that traitor-god becomes our tormentor and we 
his helpless slaves. Blessed he whose God-trust and 
self-trust are so happily blended and harmonized that 
he can say: 

/^^OING my best, is for myself the best 
Tffi/ In great things as in small ; 

Then trusting in Him who ruleth all 
Will soothe the weary soul to rest. G. G. 



XIV. (picdriouB Coifere. 



If thou enjoy the toil of thy hand, happy art thou 
and it will be well with thee. — Psalms cxxviii. 2. 
The Rabbis explain as follows : happy, that is in this 
life — well, that is in the life to come; 



51 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

^WO men deserve to be honored, and no third 
First, the toil-worn craftsman who with earth- 
made implements laboriously conquers the earth, and 
makes her man's vassal. Venerable is the hard hand, 
but therein, notwithstanding, lies a cunning virtue, 
indef easibly royal. Venerable, too, is- the rugged face, 
all weather-tanned, with its rude intelligence, for it is 
the face of a man living man-like. Oh, thou son of 
hardy toil, for us was thy back so bent, for us were thy 
straight limbs and fingers so deformed. Thou wert our 
conscript on whom the lot fell, and fighting our battles 
wert thou so marred. For, in thee, too, lay a God- 
created form, but it was not to be unfolded; encrusted 
with the thick adhesions and defacements of labor must 
it stand. And thy body, like thy soul, was not to know 
freedom. Yet toil on; thou art in thy duty, be out of it 
who may; thou toilest for the indispensable — for daily 

bread. 

Thomas Carlyle. 

.CALL TO WORK. 

OfrBXDE not in the realm of dreams, 
VJl/ O man, however fair it seems ; 
But with clear eye the present scan 
And hear the call of God and man. 

Then while day lingers do thy best, 
Full soon the night will bring its rest ; 
And, duty done, that rest shall be 
Full of beatitudes to thee, 

52 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XV. ZoiktB of ffc Spirit. 



The blessing of him that was nigh to perish came 
upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for 
joy. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the 
lame. — Job xxix. / ?, /j. 

He that openly correcteth a man shall in the end 
find more favor than he that flattereth with his 
tongue, — Proverb xxviii. 23. 



Oft SECOND man I honor, and still more highly; 
^- him who is seen toiling for the spiritually indis- 
pensable; not daily bread, but the bread of life. Is not 
he, too, in his duty? endeavoring toward inward har- 
mony; revealing this, by act or by word, through all 
his outward endeavors, be they high or low? Highest 
of all, when his outward and his inward endeavor are 
one ; when we can name him artist ; not earthly crafts- 
man only, but inspired thinker, who, with heaven-made 
implements, conquers heaven for us. If the poor and 
humble toil that we have food, need not the high and 
glorious toil for him in return, that we have light, have 
guidance, freedom, immortality? 

Thomas Carlyle. 

-Tj HOSE mighty men of old, 
^^ Their words were vital breath ; 
Bestowing faithfulness in life 
And fearlessness in death. 

53 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XV L (pafflftnbers. 



The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the 
soul ; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise 
the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, re- 
joicing the heart ; the commandment of the Lord is 
pure, enlightening the eyes. — Psalm xix. 7, 8. 



/JT\UR laws do not call men to misanthropy, but en- 
courage people to share what they have with one 
another freely, to be enemies to injustice and eager for 
righteousness, to banish idleness and expensive living. 
They forbid making war from a desire of lucre ; but 
bid us to be brave in defending our laws and inexora- 
ble in punishing malefactors. And I make bold to 
say that we are become the teachers of men in the great- 
est number of things, and those the most excellent. 
For what is more excellent than inviolable piety? 
What is more just than obedience to the laws? And 
what is more advantageous than mutual love and con- 
cord, and neither to be divided by calamities, nor to be- 
come injurious and seditious in prosperity; to despise 
death when we are in war, and in peace to apply our- 
selves to trade and agriculture ; while we are persuaded 
that God surveys and directs everything everywhere. 

Flavius Josephus. 

Tj'HE light pours down from heaven 
^^ And enters where it may ; 
The eyes of all earth's children 
Are cheered with one bright ray. 



54 



SUN AND SHIELD 



So let the mind's true sunshine 
He spread o'er earth as free, 

And fill men's waiting spirits, 
As the waters fill the sea. 



XVII. Zfyt QSfeeeinge of £ot>e. 



Better is a dry morsel and quiet therewith, than a 
house full of feastings and strife therewith. — Prov, 
xvii. i. 



** ^OVE thy neighbor as thyself " is one of the chief 
commandments of God; yet, more weighty than 
this is the principle contained in the sentence of Scrip- 
ture: "These are the generations of Adam," preceding 
the first genealogy of man; for then only will the 
law of love obtain its full scope, when we believe that 
all men are members of the same human family." 

Ben Asai, II. Century. 

The spirit of love wherever it is, is its own blessing 
and happiness, because it is the truth and reality of God 
in the soul; and therefore is in the same joy of life, and 
is the same good to itself everywhere and on every oc- 
casion. Would you know the blessings of all blessings? 
It is this God of Love dwelling in your soul, and kill- 
ing every root of bitterness, which is the pain and tor- 
ment of every earthly, selfish love. For all wants are 
satisfied, all disorders of nature are removed, no life is 

55 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

any longer a burden, every day is a day of peace, every- 
thing you meet becomes a help to you, because every- 
thing you see or do is all done in the sweet, gentle ele- 
ment of Love. 

William Law. 

A poor man with a single handful of flowers heaped 
the almsbowl of Buddha, which the rich could not fill 
with a thousand bushels of corn ! 

Chinese, 



xviii. £0e <Wty f $e (Bokfeartns. 



And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability 
of thy times and the strength of thy safety ; and the 
fear of God thy treasure. — Isaiah xxxiii. 6. 



7j^HE thread on which the different good qualities of 
human beings are strung, as pearls, is the Fear 
of God. When the fastenings of this fear are unloosed, 
the pearls roll in all directions, and are lost one by one. 
A single moral fault, even if small, may be the ruin of 
many virtues, just as the best of wine may escape from 
a vessel through one little hole overlooked. The human 
heart is like a tablet as yet unwritten ; fools scratch it 
all over and ruin it ; only the wise know how to fill it 
with suitable matter. Never be ashamed to learn even 
from less men than thyself. 



SUN AND SI 1 1 HI J). 

When thou seest that men arc not what they should 
be, do not rejoice over the fact, but grieve and pray, 
even on thy enemies' behalf, that they may all learn to 
forsake evil, to do good, and to serve God. 

God often helps thee in small matters which thou 
dost not think worth thanking for, only to lead thee 
towards a much greater good. 

Jewish Book of Morals, 

(XV. Century). 

/^S^ETWEEN us and Thyself remove 
\t^! Whatever hindrances may be, 
That so our inmost heart may prove 
A holy temple, meet for Thee. 



XIX. <Bo&ftneM. 

He judged the cause of the needy and the poor ; 
then it was well with him : was not this to know ? — 
Jeremiah xxii. 16. 



/\V| Y son, give God all honor and the gratitude which 
^- is His due. Thou hast need of Him, but he 
needs thee not. Fear the Lord, the God of thy fathers. 
See that thou guard thy soul's holiness, and when thou 
prayest, think well before whom it is thou standest. 
Visit the sick and suffering man and let thy counte- 
nance be cheerful when he sees it, but not so that thou 
oppress the helpless one with gaiety. Respect the poor 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

man by gifts whose hand he knows not of. Rather 
feed thyself with vilest weed than make thyself depend- 
ent on other human beings. Seek not greedily after 
power and pre-eminence in the world. Spend not thy 
time among people who speak ill of their brother-man. 
Be not as the fly that is always seeking sick and 
wounded places. Dare not to rejoice when thine 
enemy comes to the ground, but give him food when 
he hungers. Purge thy soul from angry passion, that 
inheritance of fools. Love the society of wise men, 
and strive to know more and more of the ways and the 

works of thy Creator. 

Eliazar ben Isaac, 

(XL Century). 

£iELDOM can a heart be lonely, 
^^ If it seek a lonelier still — 
Self-forgetting, seeking only 
Emptier cups of love to fill. 



¥ 



XX. Zfc (gUpwrfion of TO*ft. 



Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee, O 
God, because Thy ways are in his heart. He 
goes from strength to strength till he appears before 
God in Zion. — Psalm Ixxxiv. 5, 7. 



ITTlGH hearts are never long without hearing some 
^ new call, some distant clarion of God, even in 
their dreams ; and soon they are observed to break up 



58 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the camp of ease, and start on some fresh march of 
faithful service. And, looking higher still, we find 
those who never wait till their moral work accumulates, 
and who reward resolution with no rest ; with whom, 
therefore, the alternation is instantaneous and constant; 
who do the good only to see the better, and see the 
better only to achieve it; w r ho are too meek for trans- 
port, too faithful for remorse, too earnest for repose; 
whose worship is action, and whose action ceaseless 
aspiration. 

J. Martineau. 

(YJ EST not ! Life is sweeping by, 
\i Go and dare before you die ; 
Something mighty and sublime 
Leave behind to conquer time ; 
Glorious 't is to live for aye 
When these forms have passed away. 



XXI. ©eaf0. 

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow 
of death I fear no evil, for Thou, O God, art with me ; 
Thy rod and Thy staff, they shall comfort me. — 
Psalm xx Hi. 4. 

God is the strength of my heart and my portion 
for ever. — Psalm IxxiiL 



TjTiIS life is but the fore-court of the Palace above ; 

prepare thyself so that thy soul enter worthily 

the Palace. 

Chapters of the Jewish Fathers. 



59 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

jQ^INCE nature's works be good and death doth serve 
£^ As nature's work, why should we fear to die ? 
Since fear is vain but when it may preserve, 

Why should we fear that which we cannot fly ? 
Fear is more pain than is the pain it fears 

Disarming human minds of native weight ; 
While each conceit an ugly figure bears 

Which were not evil, well viewed in reason's light. 
Our owly eyes, which dimmed with fashion be, 

Can scarce discern the dawn of coming day, 
Let them be cleared and now begin to see, 

Our life is but a step in dusty way. 
Then let us hold the bliss of peaceful mind, 
Since this we feel, great loss we cannot find. 



Sir Philip Sidney. 



XXII. ]mmoxt<tf\t%. 



I shall not die, but live and declare the works of 
the Lord. — Psalm cxviii. iy. 



*i FEEL in myself the future life. I am like a forest 
^ which has been more than once cut down. The 
new shoots are stronger and livelier than ever : I am 
rising, I know, toward the sky. The sunshine is on 
my head. The earth gives me its generous sap, but 
heaven lights me with the reflection of unknown worlds. 
You say the soul is nothing but the resultant of bodily 

60 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

powers. Why, then, is my soul the more luminous 
when my bodily powers begin to fail? Winter is on 
my head, and eternal spring is in my heart. There I 
breathe at this hour the fragrance of the lilacs, the vio- 
lets, and the roses as at twenty years. The nearer I ap- 
proach the end, the plainer I hear around me the im- 
mortal symphonies of the worlds which invite me. It 
is marvelous, yet simple. It is a fairy tale, and it is 
history. For half a century I have been writing my 
thoughts in prose and verse: history, philosophy, 
drama, romance, tradition, satire, ode, and song, — I 
have tried all. But I feel I have not said the thousandth 
part of what is in me. When I go down to the grave, I 
can say, like so many others, " I have finished my day's 
work;'' but I cannot say, "I have finished my life." 
My day's work will begin again the next morning. The 
tomb is not a blind alley: it is a thoroughfare. It 
closes on the twilight to open with the dawn. I im- 
prove every hour because I love this world as my father- 
land, and because the truth compels me. My work is 
only a beginning. My monument is hardly above its 
foundations. I would be glad to see it mounting and 
mounting forever. The thirst for the infinite proves 
infinity. 

Victor Hugo. 

y^TROM night to light, 
tjD From doubt to sight, 
The soul, God's breath, 
Is led by death. 



6j 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIII. 3ttftttt<tfton0 of Jtttmorfaftfg. 



And it shall be when Thou art come hither to the 
city that thou shalt meet a company of prophets com- 
ing down from the high place with a psaltery and a 
tabret, and a pipe and a harp before them, and they 
shall prophesy. And the Spirit of the Lord shall come 
upon thee and thou shalt prophesy with them and 
shalt be turned into another man. — /. Samuel x. J. 6. 



nt^NOW that what Samuel announced to Saul was not 
a miraculous occurrence which happened to him 
only because he was chosen to become a prince and 
ruler of his people. Everyone who met a prophet and 
heard him prophesy, experienced an inward change so 
deep that he appeared like another man ; a new spirit 
was awakened in him ; he felt himself raised beyond his 
ordinary condition by the clearness of his thoughts, by 
his yearning after still greater insight, whilst his human- 
ity and strength of self-renunciation were increased. 
In this ecstatic state he saw the light and felt the exal- 
tation of the more perfect life to come; for what else 
can we expect of such a life but that the soul, freed 
from the body and its senses, glories in its Divine origin, 
and rejoices in the perception of the world of spirits 
and the communion with the Eternal One. The proph- 
ets were to our forefathers the living witnesses, the ac- 
tual proofs, of the independence of the soul from the des- 
tiny of the body. They had direct experience of that 

62 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

which we seek to reach by philosophical reasoning and 
logical conclusions. 

Jehudah Halevi. 

Question : Although the prophets are no more, is the 
experience of which the poet-philosopher speaks quite 
unknown to us, altogether unattainable to us? Have we 
not lived through hours in which our souls seemed lifted 
into a higher sphere of thought and feeling? Why do 
we not treasure up these intimations for the strengthen- 
ing of our faith and the deepening of our hope ? 



xxiv. tU gkaffofWng. 

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker ! Let 
the potsherds strive with the potsherds of the earth. 
But shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What 
makest Thou ? Or the work (to the workman), His 
hands (have no cunning). — Isaiah xlv. g. 



T^HE scaffolding is kept around men long after the 
fresco is commenced to be painted; and wondrous 
disclosures will be made when God shall take down this 
scaffolding body, and reveal what you have been doing. 
By sorrow and by joy; by prayer, by the influences of 
the sanctuary; by your pleasures, by your business, by 
reverses, by success and by failures, by what strength- 
ened your confidence, and by what broke it down; by 
the things you rejoiced in and by the things you 

63 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

mourned over; by all that God is working in you. 
And you are to be perfected, not according to the 
things that you plan, but according to the divine 
pattern. 

H. W. Beecher. 

TjURN, turn, my wheel, all things must change 
^^ To something new, to something strange ; 
Nothing that is can pause or stay ; 

This earthen jar 
A touch can make, a touch can mar ; 
And shall it to the potter say : 
What makest thou ? Thou hast no hand ? 
As men who think to understand 
A world by their Creator planned, 

Who wiser is as they. 

— From The Potter's Wheel, by Longfellow. 



XXV. £e<x*0. 



My tears have been my meat day and night. — 
Psalm xlii. j>. 

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. — Psalm 
cxxvi. 5. 

And the Lord God will wipe away the tears from 
all faces. — Isaiah xxv. 8. 



7)"HANK God, bless God all ye who suffer not 

More grief than ye can weep for. That is well — 
That is light grieving ! lighter none befell, 

64 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Since Adam forfeited the primal lot. 

Tears! What are tears? The babe weeps in its cot, 

The mother singing ; at her marriage-bell 

The bride weeps, and before the oracle 

Of high-faned hills the poet has forgot 

Such moisture on his cheeks. Thank God for grace, 

Ye who weep only! If, as some have done 

Ye grope tear-blinded in a desert place 

And touch but tombs — look up ! those tears will run 

Soon in long rivers down the lifted face, 

And leave the vision clear for stars and sun. 

Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 

The heavenly gates which prayer and fasting 
cannot open, tears will unlock. — Rabbinical. 
Shakespeare calls tears : heaven-moving pearls. 



XXVI. Zfc gewAffcr. 



Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days 
of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord 
forever. — Psa/ms xxiii. 6. 



AOME one may say: Thou hast shown us what we 
^nope of a future life is reasonable; now tell us also 
whither the departed souls go, where is their dwelling- 



65 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

place, what is their occupation, how are the good re- 
warded and the bad cleansed from the stains of their 
sins? I would answer: Friend, thou dost ask more than 
I ever promised to do. For my part, I content myself 
with the conviction that I shall always remain under 
Divine protection; that a holy and just Providence 
rules in the future world as it does in this, and that my 
true happiness consists in the beauty and perfection 
of my soul. These are: temperance, justice, freedom, 
love, benevolence, knowledge of God, laboring in the 
service of His purpose and an entire surrender to His 
will. These are the beatitudes which I expect to find 
in the future life, and more I need not to know in 
order to go cheerfully on the way that leads to it; 
thither you will all follow me when your hour shall 
come. 

Moses Mendelssohn. 

7j HEY throng the silence of the breast, 
^^ We see them as of yore, — 
The kind, the brave, the true, the sweet, 
Though they are here no more. 

More homelike seems the vast unknown, 

Since they have entered there ; 

To follow them were not so hard, 

Wherever they may fare. 

They cannot be where God is not, 

On any sea or shore : 

Whate'er betides, Thy love abides, 

Our God for evermore. 



66 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XXVII. Zfc fyopt of ^tfoafion. 

Harken unto me, ye that know righteousness, 
saith the Lord ; ye people in whose heart is my law : 
fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid 
of their revilings. — Isaiah H. y. 

CfjOUR. question, why I do not try to make converts, 
(^ has, I must say, somewhat surprised me. The 
duty to proselytize springs clearly from the idea that 
outside a certain belief, there is no salvation. I, as a 
Jew, am not bound to accept that dogma, because ac- 
cording to the teachings of the Rabbis, the righteous 
of all nations shall have part in the rewards of the 
future world; your motive, therefore, is foreign to me; 
nay, as a Jew, I am not allowed publicly to attack any 
religion which is sound in its moral teachings. . . . 
The practice of these teachings I call Internal Service 
of God; and not to assist in the dissemination of them 
would show an extreme want of interest in the welfare 
of my fellowmen: but as to dogmas and ceremonies 
(the External Service of God), how can I know which are 
the best for others? All I am convinced of is: that 
those I profess and practice are the best for me, and the 
fact that I believe these ordinances to have been com- 
manded by God does not oblige me to assume that they 
needs must be the best for all the rest of the world. 
This also I do know : that I love all friends of virtue 
and of wisdom heartily, no matter what their External 
Service, and if you are in reality as good as you appear 
in your letter, I esteem you most sincerely. — Fro))i a 
letter of Moses Mendelssohn to a noti-fewisli correspondent. 

67 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XXVIII. l%t ©eBttng of QJUn. 

Let the counsel of thine own heart stand ; for 
there is no man more faithful unto thee than it. A 
man's mind is sometimes wont to tell him more than 
seven watchmen that sit above in a high tower. — 
Sirack. 

^UR future destination is a new link in the chain of 
our being, which connects itself with the present 
link most intimately, and by the most subtle progression ; 
as our earth is connected with the sun, and as the moon 
with our earth. When death bursts the bonds of our 
present limitation, God will transplant us, like flowers, 
into quite other fields, and surround us with entirely 
different circumstances. Who has not experienced 
what new faculties are given to the soul by a new situ- 
ation? Faculties which, in our old corner, in the stifling 
atmosphere of old circumstances and occupations, we 
had never imagined ourselves capable of ? . . . 
Wherever I may be, through whatever worlds I may 
be led, I know that I shall forever remain in the hands 
of the Father, who brought me hither, and who calls 

me further on. 

Herder. 
/AATHER and Helper ! plant within each bosom 
~_jS The seeds of holiness, and bid them blossom 
In fragrance, and in beauty bright and vernal, 

And spring eternal. 
Then place them in thine everlasting gardens 
Where angels walk, and seraphs are the wardens ; 
Where every flower, escaped through death's dark portal, 
Becomes immortal. 

68 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIX. <g)uf£ ©itnne. 



And in every work that he began in the service of 
the house of God, and in the Law, and in the Com- 
mandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his 
heart, and prospered. — II Chron. xxxi. 21. 



T^HERE is nothing like the first glance we get at 
duty, before there has been any special pleading of 
our affections or inclinations. Duty is never uncertain 
at first. It is only after we have got involved in the 
mazes and sophistries of wishing that things were other- 
wise than they are, that it seems indistinct. Consider- 
ing a duty is often only explaining it away. Deliber- 
ation is often dishonesty. God's guidance is plain, 

when we are true. 

F. W. Robertson. 

Try to do thy duty — and thou shalt at once know 

thine own worth. 

Goethe. 

Duty is the great witness of our personality. 

John Sterling. 

« TERN Daughter of the Voice of God ! 
{St O Duty ! if that name thou love 
Who art a light to guide, a rod 
To check the erring, and reprove ; 
Thou, who art victory and law 
When empty terrors overawe ; 
From vain temptations dost set free, 
And calm' st the weary strife of frail humanity ! 

69 



SUN AND SHIELD 

To humbler functions, awful power ! 

I call thee : I myself commend 

Unto thy guidance from this hour"; 

Oh ! let my weakness have an end ! 

Give unto me, made lowly wise, 

The spirit of self-sacrifice ; 

The confidence of reason give ; 

And in the light of truth thy bondman let me live. 

William Wordsworth. 



xxx. Zxut &mWtftty. 



Let not mercy and truth forsake thee ; bind them 
about thy neck ; write them on the tables of thy 
heart ; so shalt thou find favor with God and men. 
— Proverbs Hi. j, 4. 



(YtO crown carries such royalty with it as doth hu- 
^ mility ; no monument gives such glory as an un- 
sullied name; no worldly gain can equal that which 
comes from observing God's laws. The highest sacri- 
fice is a contrite heart; the most beautiful of all things 
man can do is to forgive wrong. Cherish a good heart 
when thou findest it in any one ; hate, for thou mayest 
hate it, the haughtiness of the overbearing man, and 
keep the boaster at a distance. There is no skill or 
cleverness to be compared to that which avoids temp- 
tation; there is no strength that can equal piety. All 



70 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

honor to him who prays, reads, learns, all with a passion 
ate yearning for his Maker's grace. 

Eleazar ben Yehudah, 

(XIII. Century). 



to, 



WOULD that I might be 
A servant unto Thee, 
Thou God by all adored, 



Spirit and flesh are Thine, 

O heavenly shepherd mine ! 

My hopes, my thoughts my fears, Thou seest all. 

Thou measurest my path, my steps dost know, 

When Thou upholdest, who can make me fall, 

When Thou restrainest, who can bid me go ? 

Jehudah Halevi 



fcxatt 



PART FIRST. 



Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my serv- 
ant whom I have chosen. . . . — Isaiah xliii. 10. 

Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the 
people in whose heart is my law ; fear ye not the 
reproach of man, neither be ye afraid of their revil- 
ings. — Isaiah li. 7. 



73 



I. £0e £aff of 3eraef. 



If ye will obey my voice indeed and keep my 
covenant, then ye shall be a chosen people unto me 
out of all nations, for all the earth is mine ; ye shall 
be unto me a priestly people and a holy nation. — 
Exodus xix. 5, 6. 



T^HE answer made to this call by the people was 
^ worthy of the hour; for, as with one voice, they 
said: " All that the Lord shall say, we will do and 
hear." The ancient masters point to the seeming- rash- 
ness of the reply since hearing- ought to precede a vow 
of doing; but such, they explain, is always the effect of 
true inspiration. The self is lost in the end of the 
inspiring cause. Only under the sway of such an absorb- 
ing influence are great resolutions born. What generous 
soul does not know these sacred hours ? And, although 
more may be vowed, to ourselves and to others, than 
can be fulfilled, yet are we, as it were, pushed for- 
ward and upward by these rising waves of spiritual 
life; we never fall back altogether to the level from 
which we were lifted. Israel, it is true, did relapse into 
old errors, and not very long after; he has often been 
rebuked for his backsliding; but what are these lapses 
compared with his unwavering faithfulness through 
thousands of years, and under what trials! G. G. 

75 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

A\ GIVE me strength to hold to Thee for aye, 
^■^ To let me touch Thy garment's hem, I pray; 
And though Thy dreaded judgments may draw near, 
Submissive to Thy will, I have no fear. 
I'll keep Thy covenant unbroken, Lord, 
Most dear and precious is to me Thy Word. 



II. £0e QSeef fcnrffa. 

For this is not a vain thing for you, it is your life, 
and by this ye shall prolong your life in the land 
whither ye go over Jordan to possess it. 

Deut. xxxii. 4.7. 

i ' M believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of 
J heaven and earth;" " The Lord our God is One;" 
" There is none good save One, that is God; " " There 
is One God and Father of us all, who is above all, and 
through all, and in you all; " " One God, the Father, of 
whom are all things, and we in Him; " " For in Him we 
live and move and have our being; " " God is light, and 
in Him is no darkness at all;" and " God is love." 
Here is your true creed and confession. I want to say, 
Get these mighty and masterful sentences by heart, and 
teach them to your children, that they may take them 
out into thejworld for their staff and stay, when they 
leave the old roof-tree. We may believe many a radi- 
ant truth besides; but these, to begin with, are the best 

76 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

I ever found. "Tell me the whole Law while I stand 
on one foot," the young heathen wit said to the old 
master of the Law in Jewry, just before our Christian 
era, and he thought he had the old scholar on the hip. 
But he had reckoned without his host. " Lift up your 
foot," the old man said promptly; and, with a smile, 
"Are you ready?" "Yes, master, ready." " Well, 
now, listen. ' Do not unto another what thou wouldest 
not have another do unto thee ' — that is the whole Law : 
the rest is only commentary and exposition." So I 
want to say to myself and to you : Here is the essence 
of all faith ; and we can hear it, as we can hear the whole 
Law touching the conduct of our life while we stand on 
one foot. Robert Collyer. 

ISrRAFT within our heart of hearts 
it? Love undying for Thy name ; 
Bid us, ere the day departs, 
Spread afar our Maker's fame ; 
Young and old together bless, 
Clothe our souls with righteousness. 



HI. ^Bv<xd (Snburing. 

I, the Lord, change not ; and ye, house of Israel, 
are not consumed. — Malachi iii. 6. 



-d^ORMERLY I felt little affection for Moses, prob- 
*** ably because the Hellenic spirit was dominant 



77 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

within me, and I could not pardon the Jewish lawgiver 
for his intolerance of images and every sort of plastic 
representation. I failed to see that despite his hostile 
attitude to art, Moses was himself a great artist, gifted 
with the artist's spirit. Only in him, as in his Egyptian 
neighbors, the artistic instinct was exercised solely 
upon the colossal and the indestructible. But, unlike 
the Egyptians, he did not shape his works of art out of 
brick and granite. His pyramids were built of men, 
his obelisks hewn out of human material. A feeble 
race of shepherds he transformed into a people bidding 
defiance to the centuries, a great, eternal, holy people, 
God's people he intended to build, an exemplar to all 
other peoples, the prototype of mankind: he created 
Israel; with greater justice than the Roman poet could 
this artist boast of having erected a monument more 
enduring than brass. . . . Now I understand that the 
Greeks were only beautiful youths, while the Jews have 
always been men, powerful, inflexible men; not only in 
early times, to-day, too, in spite of eighteen hundred 
years of persecution and misery. 

Heinrich Heine. 

7j HOU who so high hast raised me by Thy love, 
^^ My eyes look upward to Thy realms above. 
Thou art my strength, on Thee will I rely, 
And serve Thee till the moment that I die ; 
Thy service I have made my chosen part, 
O God, instil Thy grace into my heart. 



7-8 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

IV. $n fteaf of a %w. 



Ye shall be perfect with the Lord, your God. 

— Deut. xviii. ij. 



T^HE pious Jew bears about with him unrepiningly 
the burden of his people's faith, holds worldly 
delights in contempt, is moderate in all the workings of 
his mind, is master of his passions, and, in sooth, has 
God continually before his eyes. The path which his 
feet tread is straightforward, and the words he utters to 
others are soft and sweet; he educates his children to a 
worthy life, infuses love and righteousness into all his 
works, and seeks to lead others in the right way; he is 
of a contented mind, and rejoices when the world goes 
well with others. He loves his neighbors and friends, 
lends to the needy, gives alms secretly and does good 
purely for God's sake. Such a one you will find early 
and find late in the house of religious study and prayer, 
where he may add to the store of his knowledge and 
pray from the depths of his reverent heart. 

Eleazar ben Yehudah 
(XIII. Century). 

fX ET Israel strive for truth alone, 
*^ In love to bless mankind ; 
And in the bond of brotherhood 
All nations soon to bind, 

So that they all with one accord 

Acknowledge and obey the Lord. 

79 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

v - £0e (putpo&t of t$t Commanomenfe. 



Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in 
the path of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep His 
testimonies and seek Him with their whole heart. — 
Psalm cxix. i, 2. 



^fYlHAT are the things that we Jews are commanded 
or forbidden ? They are simple and well known. 
The first command is concerning God, and affirms that 
God is almighty and perfect, self-sufficient and sufficient 
for all other things ; indeed, the beginning, the middle 
and the end of all things. He is manifest in His works 
and benefits, and more conspicuous than any other 
being whatever; but as to His essential nature, most 
obscure. All materials, let them be ever so costly, are 
unworthy to compose an image of Him, and all arts are 
inartistic to express the idea of Him. . . . All men 
ought to follow and worship Him in the exercise of vir- 
tue ; for this way of worship is the most holy. And we 
ought first to pray for the common welfare of all, and 
after that for our own, since we are made for fellowship 
with one another, and he who prefers the common good 
to his own private good is especially acceptable to God. 
And let our prayers and supplications be made to God, 
not so much that He would give us what is good as that 
we may only receive and use it as good. 

Flavius Josephus. 



80 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



7j HY word a wondrous guiding star 
^^ On pilgrim hearts doth rise ; 
Leads to their Lord who dwells afar 
And makes the simple wise. 

Let not its light 

E'er sink in night, 
But still in every spirit shine, 
That none may miss Thy light divine. 



VI - £0e £too (Butbee. 



Remember the days of old, consider the years of 
many generations : ask thy father, and he will show 
thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. — Deut 
xxxii. 7. 



T^WO angels guide 

The paths of man, both aged and yet young 
As angels are, ripening through endless years. 
On one he leans : some call her Memory, 
Some Tradition ; and her voice is sweet 
With deep mysterious accords. 
The other floating above, holds down a lamp which 

streams 
A light divine and searching on the earth, 
Compelling eyes and footsteps: Memory yields, 
Yet clings with loving cheek and shines anew; 
Reflecting all the rays of that bright lamp 
Our angel Reason holds. We had not walked 

Si 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

But for Tradition : we walk evermore 

To higher paths by brightening Reason's lamp. 

George Eliot. 
A man is born by the side of his father and there he 
remains. Quoted by Emerson. 

A nation lives by its traditions, and the deeper the 
love that binds the members of a family together the 
richer the store of its reminiscences and the more 
numerous its memorial days. q q 

VII. Custom*. 

When wisdom entereth into thine heart and knowl- 
edge is pleasant unto thy soul, discretion shall pre- 
serve thee, understanding shall keep thee : To deliver 
thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that 
speaketh froward things. — Proverbs ii, 10, 12, 

The soul can shed a glory 

On every work well done, 
As even things most lowly 

Are radiant in the sun. 



HO ELIGION, they say, is only custom. I might agree 
^" to this if the " only' ' were left out. Customs are 
the flowers of civilization. You can tell a man's training, 
yea, even much of his character, by his habits. Moral- 
ity, Ethics, " Sittlichkeit," are words derived from roots 
denoting manner of living — that which is acknowledged 
and adopted by the people as right and seemly. There 



82 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

are foolish customs, of course, but these apart, man- 
ners and usages are the silent compact, the unwritten 
law which preserve the proprieties of civilized life, and 
piety is thus the fruit of religious customs. 

G. G. 

The very sooth of it is that an ill habit is an ill fate. 

L'ESTRANGE. 

VIII. Ut A»trituaf fctfe. 

This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel : not 
by hosts, not by power, but by My spirit. 

— Zechariah iv. 6. 



^\lHO are the great men and what are the great na- 
tions of the world? What is left of all human 
history? The only things that are alive to-day of 
all the product of the world of the past are the spiritual 
things. Did not Paul speak the truth when he said: 
11 The mind of the spirit is life ? " Where is Phoenicia, 
Babylon, Egypt? All that is left of Egypt are a few 
pyramids and the sphinx, which testify to an intolerable 
tyranny over millions of slaves. What is left of Tam- 
erlan, of Xerxes, the great oriental conquerors? Noth- 
ing. What is left of little tiny Palestine? — Imperish- 
able treasures that the world would not part with for 
all the material fruits of civilization together. What is 
left of Greece? The literature, the art, the truth, the 
beauty. What is left of Rome? Her magnificent 

83 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

thoughts embodied in law, her arts. It is the spiritual 
things that live and wherein resides all human great- 
ness 

Minot J. Savage. 

^j HE heights by great men reached and kept, 
^^ Were not attained by sudden flight, 
But they, while their companions slept, 
Were toiling upward in the night. 



IX. (gtnctenf (ptaget0. 

At the close of the service of the great Day of 
atonement the High-priest offered this prayer : 

May it please Thee, O God, God of our fathers, that 
we may not be] forced to emigrate ; but if it be so 
decreed by Thee, may it not be to a place where the 
knowledge of Thy Law is not found ; and may we 
suffer no want ; but if it be so decreed by Thee, may it 
not be a want of means to do good works ; and may 
it please Thee to let this year be one in which right- 
eousness prevails ; also a year of plenty ; of trading, of 
rain, warmth and shade in due proportions, so that no 
one may need the help of his fellow-man, and no one 

be tempted to lord it over his neighbor. 

Talmud. 



^Y)HEN Rabbi Eleazar had finished his devotions, he 

added this petition: May it please Thee to let 

dwell within our borders Love, Brotherliness, Peace and 

Amity ; grant that the disciples may increase, our work 

8 4 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

for all lawful ends be blessed with happy issues, and 
that we finally obtain our portion in Paradise ; that we 
may be armed for the good fight by the fellowship of 
the wise, and the prevailing of the good spirit within us ; 
that every morning may find us cheered by hope, and 
governed by the fear of Thy name ; and mayest Thou 
fulfill our wishes for the abiding good of our souls. 

Talmud. 

X. £0e (Brace of QRepenfance, 

Who can say : I have made my heart clean, I am 
pure from sin ? — Prov. xx. g. 

He that covereth up his sins ( to hide them from 
himself ) shall not prosper ; but he that confesses and 
forsakes them shall find mercy. — Prov. xxviii. ij. 



fDEPENTANCE is likewise an indispensable ele. 
^ ment in the belief of the followers of Israel's Law. 
For it is impossible for man to be entirely free from 
error and sin ; he either does not sufficiently understand 
the opinion which he chooses, or he adopts one, not for 
its own merits, but in order to gratify his desire or his 
passion. If we were convinced that we could never 
make our crooked ways straight, w T e should forever con- 
tinue in our errors and, perhaps, add other sins to those 
we have committed, because we do not see that there is 
a way of escape left to us ; w T hilst the belief in the effi- 



8s 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

cacy of repentance causes us to improve ourselves, to 
reach out for the best of ways, and to become better 
than we were before we sinned. 

Moses Maimonides. 

OmND day by day I think I read more plain 

V2L/ This crowning truth, that, spite of sin and pain, 

No life that God has given is lived in vain ; 

But each poor, weak, and sin-polluted soul 
Shall struggle free at last, and reach its goal, 
A perfect part of God's great perfect whole. 



XL 30mef gerifage. 

" O ye, that love the Eternal, see that ye hate the 
thing that is evil ; to him that ordereth his conversa- 
tion right, shall be shown the salvation of God." 

[As Quoted by M. A.] 

^f\lHETHER we consider this revelation in respect to 
human affairs at large, or in respect to individual 
happiness, in either case its importance is so immense, 
that the people to whom it was given, and whose record 
is in the Bible, deserve fully to be singled out, as the 
Bible singles them: " Behold, darkness shall cover the 
earth, and gross darkness the nations; but the Eternal 
shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon 
thee." For, while other nations had the misleading 
idea that this or that, other than righteousness, is sav- 
ing, and it is not; that this or that, other than conduct, 
brings happiness, and it does not ; Israel had the true 

86 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

idea, that righteousness is saving and that to conduct 
belongs happiness. Nor let it be said that other nations, 
too, had at least something of this idea. They had, but 
they were not possessed with it; and to feel it enough 
to make the world feel it, it was necessary to be pos- 
sessed with it. Israel and the Bible are filled with re- 
ligious joys: "Eternal, what love have I unto Thy 
Law ? All the day long is my study in it." This is why 
the testimonies of righteousness are Israel's heritage 
forever, because they were the very joy of his heart. 

Matthew Arnold. 
fV)ET know the Lord hath chose, 
lr Chose to himself apart, 

The good and meek of heart. 

Into my heart more joy 

And gladness Thou hast put, 

Than when a year of glut 
Their stores doth over-cloy. 



XII. <Wfat T»*0 QRet>e<tfe& to (Woeee. 

If there be a prophet among you, I will make 
Myself known to him in a vision, and will speak unto 
him in a dream. My servant Moses who is faithful in 
all my house, with him will I speak mouth to mouth 
. . . and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold. — 
Numbers xii. 6, 7. 



fll NTO Moses the veil of the senses, of appearances, 
^ was lifted: he, too, looked through the show of 



87 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

things, and saw that behind the outward, which makes 
the outward what it is. To his earnest and manly soul 
was revealed the truth that man is not free, but bound; 
that he cannot do as he would, but as he must ; that he 
is not free to do wrong, but bound to right by a double 
chain of pain and fear : he saw and felt the presence of 
penalty: that God had attached pain to certain courses 
of action, and pleasure to other and quite opposite 
courses; and that this was law, from which man could 
not get away; that fire would burn and water drown, 
that sin would bring evil and remorse, and, let a man 
try as hard as he might, he could not make it so that 
fire would not burn, nor water drown, nor intemper- 
ance of the body destroy the soul : he stood awed before 
the majesty of law. And how great was that reve- 
lation ! 

Eliza T. Clapp. 

OjTND fierce though the fiends may fight, 
V5«/ And long though the angels hide — 
I know that truth and right 

Have the universe on their side. 



xiil. Zfc <Wty to (Bob. 

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command 
you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it. — Deut. 
iv. 2. 

He that adds to the Divine ordinance transgresses 
as much as he that diminishes. — Talmud. 

88 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

7^HE divine religion does not urge us to lead an 
ascetic life, but guides us in the middle path, 
eauidistant from the extremes of too much and too 
little ; it allows free play to every Godgiven faculty of 
both body and soul, within the limits drawn by the 
Divine Hand itself. For certain it is that what we de- 
vote to one faculty in excessive measure we withdraw 
from another faculty, and thus lose the harmony which 
should pervade our whole life. ... In general, let me 
impress this principle on thy mind : The essence of our 
whole Law is contained in these three things : 

Reverence, Love, Joy. 

They are the way to bring us near to God. Thy 
contrition on the day of fasting is in no wise more 
pleasing to Him than thy joy on the Sabbath or the 
Festival, if so be that thy delight come from a devout 
and full heart. Just as prayer requires reflection and 
devotion, so does joy in God's commandments and the 
study of His revelation. Thou must rejoice in the love 
of Him who gave the Law, being persuaded that the 
giving thereof was an act of His love towards thee. 

Jehudah Halevi. 

/ftfOD doth suffice ! O thou, the patient one, 
^*-J Who putteth faith in Him and none beside, 
Bear yet thy load ; under the setting sun 
The glad tints gleam ; thou wilt be satisfied. 

89 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XIV. £0e (Unifgins (pother of (geftgion. 

Instead of brass, I will bring gold, and instead of 
iron I will bring silver. ... I will also make thine 
officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. — 
Isaiah Ix. ij. 

CO ELIGION is the most potent factor of association, 
^ because it binds men together by Ideas. True, it 
also divides, and sharply enough at that. But this is 
inevitable. All closer unions create rigid separations. 
Every home has an inner court from which all strangers 
are strenuously banished. The marital bond derives 
its sanctity from its restriction to two beings. The 
least infringement desecrates it. . . . The triumph of 
true religion lies in this : that all sorts and conditions 
of men become helpful to each other despite their dif- 
ferences of views and beliefs, and work together for 
purposes that benefit the whole of society. The linking 
of hands under the influence of Ideas cannot fail to 
draw the hearts also closer -to each other. Let the 
spirit of humanity, let mutual respect be cultivated in 
the various churches and synagogues, and wrangling 
about creeds and dogmas and forms will cease as natur- 
ally as rude speech and offensive manners vanish from 
the intercourse of gentle folk and cultured society. 

G. G. 

^y%HAT might be done if men were wise— 
1+J What glorious deeds, my suffering brother, 
Would they unite 
In Love and Right, 
And cease their scorn of one another ? 

90 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XV. %em$ Js&epatafiBtn. 



Ye stand this day, all of you, before the Lord, 
your God ; your captains, your elders, your officers, 
with all the men of Israel, your little ones and your 
wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the 
hewer of thy wood, to the drawer of thy water : that 
thou should' st enter into covenant with the Lord, thy 
God, and His oath which He maketh with thee. — 
Deuteronomy xxix. io<> 12. 



HfYlHENEVER the Jew is permitted to enter the life 
around him, on terms of freedom and equality, he will 
be mastered by it and lay aside his peculiarities. The 
old fable of the wind and the sun contending with one 
another as to who will succeed in making the wayfarer 
take off his cloak, is true for all conditions of men. 
Liberty always works equality; right always conquers 
wrong; if not in external things, yet in the minds and 
hearts of men. Love unfailingly casts out hatred, and 
proofs of brotherly feeling always make people ashamed 
of their pride and their selfishness. The powers of 
darkness love darkness, but they fly before the rays of 
the morning sun. 

The Jews, no more than any other class of men, relish 
social seclusion. They have, on the contrary, shown a 
wonderful adaptation to new conditions. Coercion they 
will resist: despotism, even if benevolent, they will 
oppose: and will do so by shutting themselves up in 
their own peculiar life. But no class responds more 

9 1 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

readily to the allurements of right and humanity than 
they. 

G. G. 

/JTNPPRESSION'S heart might be imbued 
^•^ With kindling drops of loving kindness, 

And knowledge pour, 

From shore to shore, 
Light on the eyes of mental blindness. 

All Slavery, Warfare, Lies, and Wrongs, 
All Vice and Crime, might die together ; 

And wine and corn, 

To each man born, 
Be free as warmth in summer weather. 



XVI. t m (Unitg. 

I will pour water upon that which is thirsty, and 
floods upon dry ground : I will pour my spirit upon 
thy children, and my blessing upon thy offspring. One 
shall say, I am the Lord's; another shall call himself 
by the name of Jacob ; another shall subscribe with 
his hand unto the Lord; another adorn himself by 
the name of Israel. — From Isaiah xliv. 



ft* HE promised revival will not present that outward 
^ uniformity which men were then, as they are now, 
wont to expect from such an awakening of the heart. 
The heavenly gift will be one, but it's workings mani- 
fold. It is likened to an overflowing river, seeking 
many outlets. The ardor of the young soul will be 
such as not to permit it to rest until it has found its bed. 



92 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

" I am the Lord's " will be the watchword of those who 
are fired by the idea, "All for God, all with God." 
Others will place the name of "Jacob" in the fore- 
ground, because they are inspired mostly by the nation's 
history ; others, again, will, as if by their sign man- 
ual, pledge their lives to the public service of God ; 
whilst yet others will write on their banners, "Israel, 
Wrestler in the midnight darkness." So far, then, from 
warning against these different modes of manifestations 
the prophet hails them as signs of the coming revival. 
O, that we learned wisdom from this seer who never 
sacrificed true unity to mere uniformity. 



G. G. 



^y^E would be one in hatred of all wrong, 

kkf One in our love of all things sweet and fair, 
One with the joy that breaketh into song, 

One with the grief that trembles into prayer, 
One in the power that makes Thy children free 
To follow truth and thus to follow Thee. 

¥ 

XVII. t% t 3nt>tBi0fe egtirtl 



And the people of Nineveh believed God and pro- 
claimed a fast and put on sackcloth . . . and the king 
arose from his throne and laid his royal robe from him 
and sat in ashes and caused it to be proclaimed: 
Let every one cry mightily unto God, turn from his 
evil way and put away the violence that is in his 
hand. And God saw their works, that they turned 
from their evil way. And God forgave them and did 
not bring on them the evil that He had sent word by 
Jonah, the prophet, He would bring. — Jonah u.j-<p. 

93 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

3 ENDORSE willingly and with my whole heart, all 
the good you say of the moral teachings of the 
New Testament. I am myself assured that many of 
those things which Christian Rabbis have ascribed to 
Jesus, never entered his mind or crossed his lips; things 
for the denial of which they slew men and allowed 
themselves to be slain. A Christianity such as yours 
would change this earth into a paradise, if it were 
generally accepted. In a matter of such transcendent 
concern to mankind, why stop to quarrel about a name? 
Call it Christianity if you think that that name would 
be helpful in speeding on that golden age; but that 
Christianity is of a surety, an Invisible Church, consisting 
of Christians, Jews, Mohammedans, Chinese and others, 
and from which, above all, the ancient Greeks and 
Romans must not be excluded. Strange, how our 
judgments conflict with each other; in history we 
lavish praise on those nations, admitting freely that 
we are much below them in almost all things; but 
when we come to the reward of goodness which a just 
God cannot withhold from anyone, we do not mention 
them, nay, worse, with wicked ingratitude, consign 
them to Orcus. 

From a letter to a Christian, by 

Moses Mendelssohn. 

,7^ HEN let each human spirit 
^W' Enjoy the vision bright, 
The truth that comes from heaven 
Shall spread like heaven's own light. 

94 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



Till earth become God's temple; 

And every human heart 
Shall join in one great service, 

Each happy in his part. 



XVIII. £0 e 3noi«8fe £obge. 



Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil ; 
that put darkness for light, and light for darkness ; 
that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter. — 

Isaiah v. 20. 



7^ HERE is an Oral or Traditional Law in every 
healthy society, more potent than the written, 
which rules in the courts of justice; it is handed down 
from every honest sire to his sons and daughters. By 
it, men and women are judged in the hearts of their 
fellowmen; from it no appeal lies anywhere. There is 
something majestic in the silent, but implacable judg- 
ment of society. Every respectable man and woman is 
of the jury. Without joint consultation, sentence is 
pronounced. Society is deeply concerned in the pres- 
ervation of its judicial supremacy, for it determines 
the value of that which, to the upright soul, is dearer 
than life itself — character. Our time is prolific in novel 
associations of all kinds. But of far greater importance 
than any of these is the Invisible Grand Lodge of all 
righteous souls; it is without framed creed, without 
written code, without recognized symbol, and is yet one 

95 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

and undivided. It speaks the universal language of 
conscience and its head is : The Everlasting Master, be- 
fore whom there is no respect of person. 

G. G. 

iV'IVE forth thine earnest cry, 
V-? O Conscience, Voice of God ! 
To young and old, to low and high 
Proclaim His will abroad. 

Within the human breast 

Thy strong monitions plead, 
Still thunder Thy Divine protest 

Against the unrighteous deed. 

XIX. ®4>oBffe0 of (Rigflf commzz. 

And they that be wise shall shine as the bright- 
ness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to 
righteousness, as the stars forever and ever. — Daniel 
xii. j>. 

^UR feeling of Brotherhood should broaden out in 
the direction of the great Teachers and Inspirers 
of the world, the acknowledged Masters of the human 
race. No blame to him who chooses one for his guide, 
nay, for his God, if no lower place can satisfy him than 
the throne of heaven. But why must that make a man 
blind to the merits of other Masters, who "from their 
urns still rule the world.' ' I think the hour is coming, 
nay, is even now, when the immortal words of Buddha 
and Zoroaster, Confucius and Socrates will be heard, and 

9 6 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

heard gladly in both Christian and Jewish churches. We 
shall never succeed in banishing them from the memory 
of men, never silence their voices, never make their 
teachings of no effect. Let us raise our eyes some- 
times beyond the limits of our own faith, that we may 
have a vision of the greatness and the glory of the 
Kingdom of God on earth. Let us ever honor the mem- 
ory of those master-builders that laid its foundations so 
deep in the hearts of men that they can never be 
moved. 

G. G. 

OJ7SSIST us, Lord, to act, to be 

V<L/ What nature and Thy laws decree, 

Worthy that intellectual flame 

Which from Thy breathing spirit came. 

May our expanded souls disclaim 
The narrow view, the selfish aim ; 
But with a generous soul embrace 
Whate'er is friendly to our race. 

XX. Zfy Qpribe of $<xii%. 

Now, the man Moses was more meek than any 
man on the face of the earth. — Nu?7ibers xii. j. 

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty 
spirit before the fall — Prov. xvi. 18. 



^HE Chinese carry courtesy so far as to praise the re- 
ligion of their neighbors and to depreciate their 
own. You, honored sir, they would say, are of the 

97 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

noble and lofty religion of Confucius; I am of the 
poor and insignificant followers of Lao-tse. There is, 
of course, not a trace of sincerity in this; yet, that sin 
of politeness is, perhaps, more pardonable than our 
rudeness in extolling Our faith, Our church, Our heaven, 
Our God above that of our neighbors, without the least 
regard for their natural sensibilities. To some Jews 
there is nothing more in the Unity of God than a decla- 
ration against the Trinity, just as, for some Christians, 
the death on the cross was suffered, not so much to 
save the believers, as to damn the unbelievers. Would, 
that a streak of Chinese politeness might temper our 
so-called zeal for God and His cause, for I cannot 
but think that good manners and consideration for the 
feelings of our neighbors are as pleasing in heaven as 
they are on earth. And we have this Pharasaic warn- 
ing: " Deal gently with the erring heathen; remember, 
he also follows in the footsteps of his parents and fore- 
fathers." To which we may fitly. add the wise precept 
of Philo: " Be first known by your excellence in things 
human, in order that you apply yourselves, with profit, 
to things Divine." P p 

¥ 

xxi. £#e Q&Bfe, 

The grass withereth, the flower fadeth ; but the 
Word of our God standeth forever. — Isaiah xl. 8, 

HE Bible, what a book! Large and wide as the 
world, based on the abysses of creation, and peer- 

98 



t 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ing aloft into the blue secrets of heaven ; sunrise and 
sunset, promise and fulfillment, birth and death, the 
whole drama of humanity is contained in this One book. 
It is the book of God. The Jews may readily be recon- 
ciled to the loss of Jerusalem, and the Temple, and 
the Ark of Covenant, and all the crown jewels of King 
Solomon. Such forfeiture is as naught when weighed 
against the Bible, the indestructible treasure that they 
have saved. That One book was to the Jews their coun- 
try, their possessions — at once, their ruler, and their 
weal and woe. Within the well-fenced boundaries of 
that book they lived and had their being. Absorbed in 
the perusal of their Sacred Book, they little heeded the 
changes that were wrought in the real world around 
them. Nations rose and vanished ; States flourished 
and decayed ; revolutions raged throughout the earth — 
but they, the Jews, sat poring over this book uncon- 
scious of the wild chase of time that rushed on above 
their heads. 



Heinrich Heine. 



-yj^HY word through ages gone— 
^W' With all Thy prophets true 
We hold communion there, 
The spirits of the just made pure 
By sorrow and by prayer. 
Those mighty men of old, 
Whose words were vital breath, 
Bestowing faithfulness in life 
And fearlessness in death. 



99 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XXII. gdffot*rin£ <B>ob'0 QXante. 

This is it that the Lord spake : I will be sanctified 
in them that come nigh me, and before all the people 
I will be glorified. — Leviticus x. 3. 



T^HIRTEEN times in the Pentateuch is enjoined 
upon us the love of God ; and when the temper of 
a man is filled with love for his God, he needs must 
serve his Maker faithfully, though men should seek to 
drag him from the service by main force. For then 
man is filled as with a consuming desire to mould his 
life according to God's will, and delight in God makes 
us forget all the world's delights. He longs to see God's 
name hallowed, and to bring him the sacrifice of his 
undivided love. His thoughts are ever with him whose 
praises are sung by his faithful lips. 

Eleazar ben Yehudah, 

(XIII Century). 

OfVjHO seek His law, and testify 
^^ That there is none besides Him, cry : 
Blessed art Thou, O Lord ! 
Holy and blessed ! 

Israel, His people, ceaselessly 

Cry as they bend and bow the knee : 

Blessed art Thou, O Lord ! 

Holy and blessed. 

100 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIII. Cfaxfy. 



Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him (the 
poor amongst thy brethren) and shalt surely lend him 
sufficient for his need ; . . . Thou shalt surely give 
him, and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou 
givest him. — Dent. xv. S-io. 



3T is incumbent on every Jewish house to practice 
charity, and to help the needy according to its 
power. For he who with compassion offers aid to the 
poor, gives also a gift to God. But charity shall be 
done, wherever possible, in secret; and he that does 
it soothes the wrath of God, excited by human sins. 
Our Rabbis taught: Every collection or freewill offering 
for the poor shall be done by two men ; the distribu- 
tion thereof, however, by three; for this latter is like 
the decision of a court of law. Injustice must not be 
done to a poor man ; the unworthy must receive noth- 
ing, and the worthy must be denied nothing. 

The merit of the man who incites to charity is 
greater than that of the man who simply gives out of 
his overflow. 

The smallest gifts given in this world are united in 
the other world into a large sum, as the small scales are 
united into a strong armor. 

He whose joy it is to exercise charity, on him does 
God bestow w T orthy recipients of it; and to him that 
devotes himself to benevolence, does God bestow the 
means thereto. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

He that repulses the poor that approach him, re- 
sembles an idolater who denies God who commanded 
him to have pity on the poor. 

By benevolence man rises to a height where he 
meets God; it is wise, therefore, to do a good work be- 
fore prayer is begun. 

Even the poor man, that lives on alms, shall distrib- 
ute a portion of that which he receives among the poor. 

Rabbi Achai, 
{VIII. Century). 

5 OR we must share, if we would keep 
That blessing from above ; 
Ceasing to give we cease to have — 
Such is the law of love. 



XXIV. Qto Confftcf twt$ Science. 

Wisdom crieth without ; she uttereth her voice in 
the streets : . . < How long will ye love ignorance, 
ye ignorant ? and scorners delight in their scorning, 
and the foolish hate knowledge? ... If thou criest 
after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for under- 
standing . . . then shalt thou understand the fear of 
the Lord and find the knowledge of God. — Prov. i. 
20, 21 ; Hi. j, 5. 



JUDAISM is the only religion that has never entered 
cSJ into conflict, and never can, with either science or 
social progress, and that has witnessed, and still wit- 
nesses, all their conquests without a sense of fear. 



SUN AND SHIELD, 

These are not hostile forces that it accepts or submits 
to, merely from a spirit of toleration or policy, in order 
to save the remains of its power by a compromise. 
They are old friendly voices which it recognizes and 
salutes with joy, for it has heard them resound for cen- 
turies already in the axioms of free thought, and in the 
cry of the suffering heart. For this reason the Jews, in 
all the countries which have entered upon the new path, 
have begun to take a share in all the great works of 
civilization, in the triple field of science, of art, and of 
action ; and that share, far from being an insignificant 
one, is out of all proportion to the brief time that 
has elapsed since their enfranchisement. 

James Darmstetter. 

How great is knowledge ! behold, the Scriptures 
place it between the two holy names of the Everlast- 
ing in the versicle : For a God of knowledge is the 
Eternal. — The Pharisees. 



XXV. gwforg. 



Thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, 
and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not ; for I 
have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, 
thou art mine. When thou passest through the water 
I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall 
not overflow thee ; when thou walkest through the 
fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame 
kindle upon thee. — Isaiah xliii. i, 2. 



103 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

T^HE history of the Jewish people comprises and 
^ implies that of the entire Mediterranean world, 
from beginning to end, rarely entering, and only by acci- 
dent, into the political and material aspects of history, 
but concerned with the ideas, with the religious, the 
social factors, in short, with the living forces of humanity. 
The history of all other nations, even of those exercising 
the longest and most remote influence, covers only a sin- 
gle epoch and a single place. Each one appears and 
disappears ; its part was played in a single period; its 
history is exclusively its own. The Jewish people, 
enduring through all times, has helped to shape all 
great events that have had their day ; it is a perpetual 
and universal witness of all these dramas, and by no 
means an inactive or mute witness, but closely identi- 
fied with them in action or in suffering. 

James Darmstetter. 

,7^ HEN will I feed this sacred fire ; 
^W' For wisdom's precept still inquire, 
Still pray from pride and folly free ; 
Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth Thee. 

XXVI. jbifg in ffleir testing. 

I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the 
Lord. The Lord hath chastened me sore, but He hath 
not given me over to death. — Psalm cxviii. T 7-> J ^- 



7^ HE oldest of races — that one whose history as a 
separate people goes farther back into the dim 



104 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

recesses of antiquity, than the record of any existing 
tribes of man, whose singular fate it is in these days to 
be found everywhere, and to achieve eminence in all 
countries — has this distinction, among many others, that 
year by year it keeps anniversaries of humiliation. The 
children of Israel are not afraid to commemorate the 
afflictions that have befallen their ancestors in olden 
times, the visitations that left their cities desolate, and 
sent their inhabitants wandering through the world ; it is, 
perhaps, because they dare to do this that they have 
been able to withstand every influence which might in- 
duce them to abandon the traditions that keep them 
separate among men. They are capable of a faith in 
the destinies of their people that rises superior to the 
worst disasters and looks forward to a restoration of 
glory, while commemorating the sharpest sufferings. 

London Times. 

3T is good that a man should both, hope 
And quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 
It is good for man 
That he bear the yoke in his youth ; 
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence ; 
He putteth his mouth in the dust ; 
He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth ; 
He is full with reproach. 
Let us search and try our ways, 
And turn again unto the Lord ; 
Let us lift up our hearts 
With our hands unto the God in heaven. — From Lamentations, chap. Hi. 

105 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

xxvii. (Utgrierg, M no ^kcreqj. 

I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the 
earth ; I said not unto the children of Jacob ? Seek ye 
me in vain. I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I de- 
clare things that are right. — Isaiah xlv. ig. 



^tN the religion instituted by Moses, the only record of 
^ which we have in the Holy Scriptures, there is no 
scope for a distribution of revelations into public and 
private. There is no " aside " in that drama. It has 
been remarked, that, if the religious idea of the antique 
Pagan world may be aptly represented by the figure of 
Harpocrates, the silent god of Egypt, holding one of 
his fingers on his lips, the religion of Israel is best de- 
scribed by the word: Memra, i. e. 9 speech, verbum, 
logos. The Mosaic system did not countenance one law 
and faith for the high, and another for the low ; there 
was no mystery for any section of the community. 

T. Theodores. 

For this commandment which I command thee 
this day, is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. 
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall 
go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we 
may hear it and do it ? Neither is it beyond the sea 
that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for 
us and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do 
it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy 
mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it. — 
Deut. xxx. ii, 14. 

106 



SUN AXD SHIELD. 



Oji LL the earth I'd wandered over 
\Jl/ Seeking still the Beacon light, 
Never tarried in the day-time, 

Never sought repose at night ; 
Till I heard a reverend preacher 

All the mystery declare, 
Then I looked within my bosom 

And 'twas shining brightly there. 



XXVIII. $<xi$ in tfc % ereafter. 



Thy righteousness is like the great mountains ; 
thy judgments are a great deep; O Lord, thou pre- 
servest man and beast. — Psalm xxxvi. 6. 



Tj^HE Hebrew people, we are told, had not a faith 
vigorous enough to accept assurances to be real- 
ized in a world totally distinct from that under the 
observation of their bodily senses. There might be 
some weight in this argument, if it were but certain 
that a belief in rewards and punishments to be adjudged 
in heaven taxes the faculty of faith more heavily than 
does the belief in the triumph of virtue and the discom- 
fiture of vice on earth. But is that so ? The reverse 
seems to be true. No antagonistic experience, no 
stubborn facts avail to weaken the credentials which 
testify in favor of a reign of perfect justice in the re- 
gion of heaven ; while the experience of every day's life 
unmercifully destroys every inchoate hope of seeing the 
differences between right and wrong, good and bad, 

107 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

adjusted on this side of the grave. Then, still to per- 
severe in such hope, would argue a superhuman effort 
of faith. . . . From beginning to end the Bible pro- 
claims the accountability of rational beings for their 
actions, and the ever vigilant justice of God "who tries 
the hearts and reins." To admit "retributive justice" 
and to limit its action to this life, is a proceeding so 
irrational that it may be considered impossible. 

T. Theodores. 

A%H, no ! it is no flattering lure, 
^■^ No fancy weak or fond, 
When hope would bid us rest secure, 
In the better life beyond. 

Nor love, nor shame, nor grief, nor sin, 

His promise may gainsay ; 
The voice divine hath spoke within, 

And God cannot betray. 

XXIX. £fc Cljoeen Qpeopfe. 

Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my serv- 
ant whom I have chosen; that ye may know and 
believe me, and understand that I am He : before me 
there wasno God formed, neither shall there be after 
me. — Isaiah xliii. 10. 



HE idea of a " Chosen People " has for us no other 
meaning than that of a people placed into the 



108 



SC7N AND SHIELD. 

world to do God's work amongst men; it implies no 
inborn superiority of race or descent, least of all, any 
favoritism in heaven. "God is no respecter of per- 
sons; M that word came from a Hebrew mind thousands 
of years ago, and still forms one of the foundation 
truths of our creed. It is not contravened by our 
prayers, nor has it been falsified by Jewish feelings 
towards non-Jews at any time — save only when the 
non-Jews acted towards the Jews as non-men. And 
that other word, than which no" greater has yet been 
uttered, and about the ownership of which religions still 
wrangle, "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" — 
although the charter where it first appeared is in every- 
body's hand — forbids us to countenance the least restric- 
tion of human rights based solely on differences of race, 
station, culture or religion. And what has the distinc- 
tion, claimed by Israel, been through these long cen- 
turies, aye, what is it to-day but a crown of thorns ? 
What, but a faith, strong as fate, has kept him from 
tearing it from his head and chasing from his breast 
forever all Messianic dreams of a reign of righteousness 
and peace on earth ? 



G. G. 



>X CLOTHE us with Thy heavenly armor, Lord ! 

^^t Thy trusty shield, Thy word of love divine ; 

Our inspiration be thy constant word ; 
We ask no victories that are not thine ; 
Give or withhold, let pain or pleasure be, 
Enough to know that we are serving Thee. 

109 



SUN AND SHIELD. 
XXX. ®UBsto$. 



And there ran a young man, and told Moses, and 
said, Eldad and Medad do prophecy in the camp. 
And Joshua, who ministered to Moses, one of his dis- 
ciples said : My lord Moses, forbid them. But Moses 
said to him : Enviest thou for my sake ? Would 
God that all the Lord's people were prophets and 
that the Lord would put His spirit upon them. — Num- 
bers xi. 2 J ', 2g. 



^HE old question of the Messiah, that has proved so 
tragic to its first propounders, has at last ceased to 
be a question for many of the Jews of to-day; not, how- 
ever, because they have found the person to whom the 
title appertains, but because they have eliminated from 
it the personal element altogether. They have trans- 
ferred the idea from man to mankind, and thus put an 
end to all controversy, on that point, with other creeds 
and churches. Nor is their position an altogether new 
creation. Some of the Pharisees of old have at least 
hinted at it. What did they mean by saying: "The 
days of Messiah are from Adam until now," but this 
that the soul of the great hope lies in the gradual devel- 
opment of the latent powers of man towards that state 
of this world's happiness, which ravished the eyes and 
inspired the lips of the ancient seers ? Rising from 
stage to stage, the vision assumed the expression con- 
sonant with the periods through which it passed, but 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

also left them behind when outgrown. Nothing can 
save the temporal from the tooth of time; and temporal 

are all history and all actors of history. Their influence 
alone endures, yet, not intact, but assimilated with all 
the other ideas that dominate the living generations. 
Who can separate the threads out of which our present 
faith has been woven? of a truth, the days of Messiah 
are from Adam till now, and the only legitimate 
problems connected with that conception, are the living 
problems of to-day ; leave we, therefore, the past to the 
student, the dreamer, the artist, and the creed-builder. 

G. G. 



Ill 



JsraeP* 



PART SECOND. 



«3 



Z§t ifrutt of (&nit%. 



Have we not all One Father ? Hath not One God 
created us all ? Why do we deal treacherously, a 
man against his neighbor, and profane the covenant 
of our fathers ? — Ma lac hi ii. 10. 



^T\UR faith in the Unity of God, that chief corner- 
stone of Judaism, is now conceived of far more in its 
///elusive, than in its ^elusive bearing. Once an inevi- 
table cause of isolation, and of rigorous seclusion from 
the surrounding nations, under the new conception it 
becomes an incentive to seek their fellowship in all 
things good, true, and beneficent. Faith in the One 
Father in heaven imposes upon us the obligation to seek 
the brotherhood of man on earth. The fear of losing 
our identity and, with it, our faith, by the free inter- 
course with our neighbors haunts us no longer. Our 
allies count by the millions, and science is on our side. 
But even if the danger still existed, we could not, for 
that reason, recede from the position we have taken 
towards our fellow citizens. If the Unity of God does 
not lead to the brotherhood of man, perhaps the broth- 
erhood of man will lead to the Unity of God. But 
whether or not — what but good can come from the cul- 
tivation of kindly feelings between a man and his 



"5 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

neighbor, and from the acknowledgment of the equal 
rights of all men in the High Court of Eternal Justice ? 

G. G. 

^ORD, let the flames of holy charity 
M* And all her gifts and graces glide 
Into our hearts and there abide ; 
That, thus refined, we may soar above 
With it into the element of Love 
Even unto Thee, dear Spirit, 
And there eternal peace and rest inherit. 



n. tM &Atib of (promise 4 &ano of (gtemoties. 

From Zion shall go forth the Doctrine and the 
Word of God from Jerusalem. — Isaiah ii. j. 



Tj^HE land of Palestine must remain venerable to 
the Jew for all times; there were revealed the 
things which the world has accepted as true ; there 
were the spiritual battles fought that secured their 
victory. There did our Seers see their visions and send 
forth their light over the earth ; there did our Bards 
indite the psalmodies that have uplifted, soothed, and 
strengthened the hearts of countless millions. There 
stood Jerusalem, the City of the Great King, and in her 
midst rose the Temple of the living and merciful God. 
It is ours still in remembrance ; but no other ownership 
is hoped for. Our gountry in the fullest sense of that 

116 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

sacred word, including its sternest obligations of 
self-sacrifice, is the land of our birth or our adoption; 
our nation, that with which we are identified in feelings, 
in interest, and in love. Wonderful, however, are the 
ways of Providence; the " Promised Land," although 
wrenched from Israel well nigh two thousand years 
ago, is still looked to by many with yearning eyes. 
Pious men and women go thither with their burden of 
years to die, that their ashes may rest where Abraham, 
Isaac and Jacob sleep; aye, and in these latter days, 
many more in the prime of their strength seek its soil, 
not to die, but to live happier lives than is permitted 
them in their homes; and it seems indeed that the 
Lord is prospering the work of their hands. Who can 
tell the counsels of the Lord ! 

G. G. 
¥ 

III. Z§t ©tBpemon. 

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy — Psalm 
cxxvi. 3. 

Seek ye the peace of the city whither I have 
caused ye to be carried away captives, and pray unto 
the Lord for it ; for in the peace thereof shall ye 
have peace. — -Jerem* xxix. 7. 



^YVlITH the new development of the Messianic idea there 

came a change in the view taken of the dispersion 

of Israel. In all calamities, especially in national catas- 

trophies, there is an element of Divine retribution, no 



"7 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

doubt; and so it was in the final overthrow of the 
Hebrew Commonwealth; but it was not retribution 
alone, as so many think, and as the Jews themselves 
have believed for so long a time. If the fall of Israel 
was punishment for sin, and no more — what shall we 
say of their wonderful heroism, of their willingness to 
die for their country and their sanctuary? Or, does that 
which covers all other nations with glory, only mark 
the shame of that one nation? Judea died the death of 
a heroine, and her funeral pyre was worthy of her great- 
ness. Her sins were the sins of despair; and her choice, 
death rather than slavery, rather than shame! Was 
there no virtue in this, and is God not just? I say, He 
is, and remembers mercy in His wrath. All His punish- 
ments are meant for Rewards in the end. He that 
curses the sinner, curses God ; as he that mocketh the 
poor, mocketh his Maker. God has scattered us over the 
earth; and now we know that His vineyards are every- 
where over that earth, and that He has called us to labor 
in them by the side of his other laborers ; so that the 
time may come when every one shall sit under his vine 
and his fig-tree, and there shall be none to frighten them. 

G. G. 

JYOD moves in a mysterious way 
7-^ His wonders to perform ; 
He plants his footsteps in the sea 

And rides upon the storm. 
Deep in unfathomable mines 

Of never-failing skill, 
He treasures up His own designs, 

And works His Sovereign Will. 

118 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

IV. Zfc (Ttett? &ife. 



Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth 
. . . and ye shall be glad and rejoice in that which 
I create. . . . — Isaiah xlv. 17, 18. 



/Jf\UR inspiring thought is this: that the faith of Juda- 
ism, withal so simple in its teachings, yet so far- 
reaching; so free from mysticism, yet keeping the mys- 
tery of mysteries always before the mind; with love, 
obedience and righteousness for the only test of true 
faith, should have passed through all its evolutions 
without losing its identity; that it should have survived 
the strokes w r hich the world has inflicted upon it, losing 
nothing of its vitality. For no sooner did the Jews feel 
the morning air of the new day, than they bestirred 
themselves and were up and doing, to adjust and re-fit 
their church to the requirements of the time that now is. 
Even if they failed in their purpose, the mere will and 
the daring of the thought should command the respect 
of the fair-minded, and prove that this is not a dead faith, 
or a dying. Behold the followers of Moses, the sons of 
the Prophets, the disciples of the Wise Men, the schol- 
ars of the Pharisaic Rabbis — now in the midst of the 
new movement, thankful to receive their share, rejoiced 
to do their part in the grand work of leading the relig- 

119 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ious life of mankind into the new channels which God 
has opened for it in these glorious days. 

Jj O Thee whose temple is all space, 
^^ Whose altar earth, sea, skies ; 
One chorus let all beings raise, 
All nature's incense rise. 

*• 
V. <£)eeb is Creeb. 

The righteous man shall live in his faith. — 
Habakkuk ii. ^. 



Tj^HE necessity to formulate an authoritative creed 
for the guidance of the illiterate has not existed 
in the synagogue, which has never had any dark ages. 
The Jew always had access to his Scriptures, because 
there was scarcely ever a time in which even the com- 
mon people did not understand more or less of the 
language in which they were written. An illiterate 
clergy was a thing unknown in Jewry. Besides, the 
Jewish creed is essentially simple, affording little scope 
for the elaboration of complex formulas. It is true 
that Maimonides compiled a creed; but it has always 
been felt by thoughtful Jews that the compilation was 
a serious mistake. Judaism owes no small measure of 
its strength and vitality to its comparative freedom 
from the attempts of theologians to stereotype its living 
truths in declarations of faith, which may represent the 
point of view of one generation, but may not harmon- 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ize with the convictions of a later age. The creed 
which relates to the coming of the Messiah is a case in 
point. Some Jewish teachers refuse to accept it. Sub- 
sequent authorities have, therefore, sought to reduce 
the Thirteen Articles to three fundamental principles — 
the existence of One God; Revelation; and Reward and 
Punishment. Yet others have thought even this too 
elaborate a formulary, declaring that Judaism rests on 
only one fundamental article — the Unity of God. But 
however the numbers of Jewish creeds have varied, 
there has been a universal tendency among Jews to 
attach less importance to matters of faith than of prac- 
tice, and no teacher in Israel has ever ventured to de- 
clare that the failure to accept a particular set of 
dogmas will involve the soul in everlasting perdition. 

The London Jewish Chronicle. 

AfNXE thought I have, my ample creed, 
^^ So deep it is and broad, 
And equal to my every need — 
It is the thought of God. 

VI. Tj$en is t#e <£oob £ime? 

Say not thou, What is the cause that the former 
days were better than these ? For thou doest not ask 
wisely concerning this. — Ecclesiastes vii. 10. 



T^HE tendency to magnify the past at the cost of the 
present is one of man's ruling weaknesses; for it 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

is as old as his memory. Paradise was lost when his- 
tory began to be told; and the golden age had passed 
when man had risen far enough to divide time. The gods 
and heroes with which the ever regretful heart of man 
peopled the earth, no doubt asked the same question 
which the writer of Ecclesiastes calls unwise, and 
which Horace ridiculed. A few years hence we shall 
be called happy to have lived in days which we brand 
as mean, prosaic and self-seeking. Does not Jeremiah 
himself write: " Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, 
saying: " Thus saith the Lord, I remember thee the 
kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals when 
thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in the land 
that was not sown. Then was Israel holiness unto the 
Lord and the first fruit of His increase" (Jeremiah ii. 
2, 3). One must not contradict Jeremiah; but I cannot 
help believing that his generation was fully as good, as 
religious, as devout, as the poor fugitives from Egpyt, 
who knew not what to do with their liberty when they 
got it; and that in civilization they were far in advance 
of their forefathers. 

G. G. 

Oj7 BIDE not in the realm of dreams, 
^^ O man, however fair it seems ; 
But with clear eye the present scan 
And hear the call of God and man. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

VII. Zfy (goob of £o;©ag. 



Learn to do well ; seek judgment, relieve the 
oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow ; 
then come and let us reason together, saith the Lord ; 
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white 
as snow. . . . — Isaiah i. 77, 18. 



^[N regard to piety, however, it seems undeniable that 
** the former days were better than the latter; and yet, 
here also are some things which redeem our time. If our 
religion is less in quantity, it is better in quality, more 
rational, more liberal, more practical. Ceremonials are 
not always helpful; sometimes, on the contrary, they 
hide the pure light of a faith. If our sentiments as 
Jews are less intense, our ideas have been enlarged, and 
our sympathies have been widened. If we do not re- 
ceive every word of the Bible as coming directly from 
God, we have gained a clearer and fuller knowledge of 
its history, and treat that as God's Revelation. The 
personal Messiah has faded from our belief; but not 
the grand hope of humanity's redemption from the evils 
of war and oppression, of which that personality was 
only the temporary expression. Shorter prayers do 
not prove less devotion, and the Talmudic doctors have 
left us this wise rule : there is a time to lengthen, and 
there is a time to shorten, prayer; and again: better 
a short prayer with inward devotion, than a long one 
without it. 

Cjt. (jr. 

123 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



/jf\H ! let my converse, Lord, with Thee, 
^■^ From bonds of errors set me free ; 
Let th' enlightening of my mind, 
Remove the shades that keep me blind. 



VIII. gone* f0e %mxi geab. 



With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of 
days understanding. — Job xii. 12. 

The hoary head is a crown of glory ; it is found 
in the way of righteousness. — Prov. xvi. ji. 



/JP\NE of the strongest evidences of the ethical genius 
of our religion is the inculcation of reverence for 
the hoary head. Feeble in body, bending his trembling 
steps toward the grave, he sometimes sinks to the help- 
lessness of childhood ; but within that withering frame 
lives a deathless soul, which came from God; a soul 
where there are found treasures of experience and golden 
rules of wisdom ; a soul hastening onward toward its 
higher destiny. The carnal eye regards only the out- 
ward appearance. Youth, in its bloom, manhood in its 
strength are esteemed far more highly, than weak and 
decaying age; but as soon as reverence for the super- 
natural, especially for the allpervading Spirit enters into 
our heart, it needs must create a like reverence for the 
spirit inhabiting the frail tenement. The compassion 
which our teacher Moses enjoins towards all the feeble 
and the helpless, is, in this instance, deepened to a 

124 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

worshipful sense of reverence; which manifests itself in 
our conduct towards the aged on all occasions. And 
this is the connection in which these two sentences are 
linked together: Thou shalt rise up before the hoary 
head and honor the face of the aged; I am the Lord, 
thy God. — Lev. xix.32. 

David Einhorn. 
fiLO we love with no less loving 
£*J Hair that turns to gray, 
Or a step less lightly moving 

In life's autumn day. 
And if thought, still brooding, lingers 

O'er each bygone thing, 
' Tis because old autumn's fingers 

Paint in hues of spring. 

¥ 

IX. £0e QBIfooming (gob. 

And on the morning, Moses went into the taber- 
nacle of assembly, and, behold, the rod of Aaron for 
the house of Levy was budded and brought forth, and 
bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds. — Numbers 
xv it. 8. 



rjJXUD, blossom, fruit — all three appeared at the 
^^ same time. Suppose we let the bud stand for the 
religious faculty, the blossom for worship, the fruit for 
life — the Rod would then be a beautiful symbol of the 
man worthy to minister at the altar, and we could notice 
that the rule: "A tree shall be known by its fruit" is 
good Jewish doctrine and of old value, too, and recog- 
nition. Also this we would learn, or find confirmed : 



125 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

that a religion should not lose herself in forms that are 
without vital force, nor bury her face in ancient scrolls 
whilst stopping her ears to the voices of to-day; but 
should look around and mark the signs of the time, and 
heed the needs of the hour that now is ; since it is as 
necessary for this generation that truth and justice and 
love and mercy be exalted as it was in ages past, but 
this can never be unless we follow Moses, take the 
Rod from the tabernacle and show it the people and thus 
" make to cease their murmurings," whereby they mur- 
mur against a lifeless, and, therefore, profitless church. 

G. G. 

7j HIRSTING for a living spring, 
V/' Seeking for a higher home, 
Resting where our souls must cling, 
Trusting, hoping, Lord, we come. 

Make us beautiful within, 

By Thy spirit's holy light ; 
Guard us when our faith burns dim, 

Father of all love and might. 

¥■ 

X. fast arte present. 

Thus saith the Lord of Hosts : If thou wilt walk 
in My ways and keep My charge, then thou shalt 
judge My house and shalt also keep My charge ; and 
I will give thee such as walk between those that 
stand still. — Zechariah Hi. 7. 



[Yt EVER lose sight of the fact that the present rests 
> upon the past ; the latter may be understood with- 
out the first, but not the reverse. All great periods 



126 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

of reform were retrospective; all reformers planted 
their feet firmly on the rocks beneath them, and drew 
their strength from the wealth stored up by their 
forerunners; just as we now go to the coal-beds for the 
light and the heat deposited there by the sun, ages ago. 
One of the latest branches of science (sociology) not 
only starts with the rudest elements of social order, but 
goes behind that and questions the records of rock 
caverns and lake dwellings for the doings of primitive 
man. Nature is irresistible; that which is to live must 
follow her methods; and her rule is: evolution, not 
revolution. Only by carefully questioning the past can 
we learn so to reform our faith as to bring it into line 
with the beneficent agencies of our time, and satisfy 
the needs of the Israelite of to-day. 

G. G. 

II^RAISE, praise to God on high, 
\p To Thee, all gracious One ! 
For all the teaching of Thy will, 

Thy word through ages gone. 
With all Thy prophets true, 

We hold communion there ; 
The spirit of the just made pure 

By sorrow and by prayer. 

XI. Zfy £nfg geresg. 

And now, O Israel, what does the Lord, thy God, 
require of thee, but to fear Him, to walk in all His 
ways, to love Him and to serve Him with all thy 
heart and all thy soul. — Dent. x. 12. 



HE real question to ask about any form of religious 
belief is: Does it kindle the fire of love? Does it 



127 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

make the life stronger, sweeter, purer, nobler ? Does 
it run through the whole society like a cleansing flame, 
burning up that which is mean and base and selfish and 
impure ? If it stands this test, it is no heresy. 
There is but one church of the true child of God, and 
unfaithfulness is the only infidelity. I am so con- 
vinced that there is no error more fatal than the notion 
that correct belief or church membership is of any 
value whatever, in comparison with that righteousness 
of life which is the be-all and end-all of true religion, 
that I say plainly — and, if I could find words to say it 
yet more plainly, I would say it yet more plainly — I 
would rather that any man should be a Romanist or a 
Dissenter or a Buddhist or a Mohammedan, so that he 
were a holy and godly man, than ten times over a 
member of the most catholic church that ever existed, 
and be a sly intriguer, or a rancorous slanderer, or an 
unclean liver, or a professed liar, or, in any one form of 
conscious wickedness, a hypocrite and a bad man. 

F. W. Farrar. 



Why was the Ark of the Covenant overlaid with 
pure gold, both outside and inside ? To teach that 
he only is a worthy Master of the Law who is as true 
and as pure in his heart as he would appear before 
men. And why was the coffin of Joseph carried by 
the side of the Ark ? To testify that he who slept in 
the one fulfilled the whole law contained in the other. 

— The Pharisees. 

128 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XII. fcfle gedftng %<xxb of (Bob. 



A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping, 
and supplications of the children of Israel ; for they have 
perverted their way and they have forgotten the Lord, 
their God. Return, ye backsliding children, I will heal 
your backslidings ! Behold, we come unto Thee, for 
Thou art the Lord, our God. — Jeremiah Hi. 21, 22. 



^fYlE may compare the life of Israel to the life of a 
healthy man. At first he was young, and 
advanced from one thing to another ; then he arrived at 
middle age and remained for a long time in the best 
condition; then diseases came upon him and maladies, 
and his health was undone and his visage marred, and 
it is as if he had never been healthy at all, and it is 
almost as if naught were left to him \pi his former 
appearance; for all is changed; he is, for a time, 
as if he had never been healthy at all, and it is almost 
as if nought were left to him of his former appearance ; 
for, all is changed, and he is, for a time, despaired 
of. After that, however, his condition improves, 
and the body begins to recover perceptibly; it heals 
little by little; he returns to his health, and it is 
as if he had never been sick at all. So God knew be- 
forehand Israel's firmness in obedience, but describes 
the corruptions of our condition between the two 
periods, and threatens Israel with every possible calam- 
ity and misfortune; but He declares at the end, that in 
spite of their corruption and of His punishing them, 

129 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

He would not hate them nor cast them off, and that 
God's anger was but chastisement for disobedience. 
For Scripture calls calamity correction in the well- 
known verse: a Asa man chasteneth his son, even so 
does the Lord, thy God, chasten thee." And God, the 
exalted One, proclaimed, in this sense, to his first 
apostle : ' ' Yet for all that, when they be in the land of 
their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I 
abhor them to destroy them." 

Moses Maimonides. 



XIII. (UnBroften m gfitit 

Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an enduring 
salvation ; ye shall not be ashamed or confounded at 
any time — Isaiah xlv\ 17. 

Wisdom strengtheneth a man more than ten 
mighty men that are in a city — Ecclesiastes vii. ig. 



fYt EXT to the selection that has been in operation for 
^ centuries, it is, in my opinion, the antiquity and the 
continuity of their civilization that throws some light 
upon the Jews, as well as upon the place they occupy 
in our midst. They were here before us; they are our 
elders. Their children were taught to read from the 
scrolls of the Tora before our Latin alphabet had 
reached its final form, long before Cyrillus and Meth- 
odius had given writing to the Slavs, and before the 



130 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Runic characters were known to the Germans of the 
North. As compared with the Jews, we are young, 
we are new-comers; in the matter of civilization they 
are far ahead of us. It was in vain that we locked them 
up for several hundred years behind the walls of the 
Ghetto; no sooner were their prison gates unbarred 
than they easily caught up with us, even on those paths 
which we had opened up without their aid. 

Anatole Leroy Beaulieu. 

(W\ OCKS and jeers were all its portion, 
K*/ * Death assailed it in ten thousand forms, 
Yet this people never faltered ; 
Hope, its beacon, led it through all storms. 



XIV. £0 e ZoxcS) of Science. 

And when the king sitteth upon the throne of his 
kingdom, he shall write him a copy of this Law in a 
book, out of that which is before the Priests the 
Levites, and it shall be with him and he shall read 
therein all the days of his life. . . . — Deui. xvii. 
1 8, ig. 

Get wisdom, get knowledge. . . . Forsake her 
not, and she shall preserve thee ; love her and she 
shall keep thee. — Proverbs iv. 5, 6. 



tj, EARNING was for two thousand years the sole 

claim to distinction recognized by Israel. To the 

scholar were accorded all the honors. " The scholar," 



131 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

says the Talmud, " takes precedence over the king; the 
learned bastard over the ignorant high-priest. ,, What 
a contrast to this is afforded by our Western barbarians, 
the Franks, the Goths, and the Lombards. Israel 
remained faithful to this precept throughout all her 
humiliations. Whenever, in Christian or Moslem lands, 
a hostile hand closed her schools, the rabbis crossed the 
seas to reopen their academies in a distant country. 
Like the legendary wandering Jew, the flickering torch 
of Jewish science thus passed from East to West, from 
North to South, changing every two or three hundred 
years from one country to another. Whenever a royal 
edict commanded them to leave, within three months, 
the country in which their fathers had been buried and 
their sons had been born, the treasure which the Jews 
were most anxious to carry away with them was their 
books. Among all the auto-da-fes which the daughter 
of Zion has had to witness, none has cost her such bitter 
tears as those flames which, during the Middle Ages, 
greedily consumed the scrolls of the Talmud. 

Anatole Leroy Beaulieu. 

'7^'HE light pours down from heaven; 
^^ And enters where it may ; 
The eyes of all earth's children 

Are cheered with one bright ray. 
So let the mind's true sunshine 

Be spread o'er earth as free, 
And fill men's waiting spirits 

As the waters fill the sea. 

132 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XV. gtitt on ffc &fert 



Behold, my servant shall deal prudently ; he shall 
be exalted and extolled, and be very high, although 
many were astonished at him, his visage was so 
marred more than any man, and his form more than 
the sons of man. — Isaiah Hi. /j, 14. 



^T is said that families, nations, races are bound to 
^ exhaust themselves. The Jew is a proof to the con- 
trary, at least in regard to intellect. Though his blood 
may, at times, seem impoverished, his appearance old, 
and his body wasted, even stunted and deformed, yet his 
mind is always alert; old it may be, by antiquity of 
culture, but never in the least decrepit or senile. And 
even when the Jew's body appears to us broken and 
degraded, this is less the result of years than of suffering. 
In looking at the pale Jews of certain Eastern and 
Oriental towns, those Jews, for example, who live on 
the shores of the lake whence the fishermen set out who 
have taken the world in their nets, we might say that 
Israel was an exhausted race. Its degeneration seems 
to include the soul as well as the bod) 7 . But even in 
these bloodless and degraded Jews there abides a secret 
vitality, a marvelous power of recuperation and rejuve- 
nation. There is sap in them still, and, to convince 
ourselves of this, it is often sufficient to transplant 
them from the poor soil of the eastern Jewries to the 

rich lands of the West. 

Anatole Leroy Beaulieu. 

133 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Watchman, what of the night, Watchman, what of 
the night ? The watchman said : the morning cometh, 
although there is now night ; if ye will inquire, inquire 
ye, return ! come ! — Isaiah xxi. u, 12. 



XVI. £0e (gUn (j)oB0e60eb of <£ob. 



Then said I, oh, Lord, I cannot speak, for I am 
only a youth. But the Lord said unto me : Say not 
I am young, for thou shalt go to all that I shall send 
thee, and whatever I command thee, thou shalt speak 
— Jeremiah i. 6, 7. 



rt^ROPHECY is not a phenomenon peculiar to Israel; 
Vr all the ancient nations had prophets, that is, men 
who spoke in the name of God, or of supernatural 
powers. The prophet differs from the priest. The 
latter is a personage without special originality, the 
guardian of an established ritual, the potency of which 
is not at all dependent upon the personality of the 
priest. The prophet is the man possessed of God, and 
through whom the Will of God is revealed to men. But 
among the other nations, and even in Israel in ancient 
times, the prophet, seer, diviner, sorcerer, vacillates 
between the charlatan and the inspired one. What is 
unique in Jewish prophecy is that it became the all- 
powerful weapon of men so truly inspired, of souls so 
truly enlightened; the mind and the conscience of 
humanity found in their prophecies its first successful 



134 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

and lasting expression. The work of these prophets 

survives in a hundred pages of the Bible and in Three 

Religions. _ __ 

° James Darmstetter. 

7j RUTH is eternal, but her effluence 

^^ With endless change, is fitted to the hour ; 

Her mirror is turned forward to reflect 

The promise of the future, not the past. 



First find thou truth, and then, 
Although she strays 

From beaten paths of men 
To untold ways — 

Her leading follow straight — 
And bide thy fate. 



XVII. £0e <fcrce of gtndenf Worbe. 



The Lord will enter into judgment with the 
ancients of His people and the princes thereof ; for ye 
have eaten up the vineyards (of the land), the spoil of 
the poor is in your houses. What mean ye that ye 
beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the 
poor? — Isaiah Hi. 14, ij. 

Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay 
field to field, till there be no place, as if they alone 
were set in the land ... Of a truth ! Many houses 
shall be desolate, even great and fair, and without a 
single inhabitant. — Isaiah v. 8, g. 



^?N the presence of the iniquities of the world, the 
*J heart of the prophets bled as though from a wound 
of the Divine spirit, and their cry of indignation 



■35 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

re-echoed the wrath of the Deity. Greece and Rome 
had their rich and poor, just as Israel had in the days 
of Jeroboam, and the various classes continued to 
slaughter one another for centuries; but no voice of 
justice and pity arose from the fierce tumult. Nations 
were born and perished, living from day to day at the 
mercy of the accidents and the appetites of the hour, 
without comprehending that a nation, in order to live 
and to deserve to live, needs an ideal that may deter- 
mine its destiny. In default of such, it must perish, 
with no reason for its existence, "its future hangs 
before it in tatters." Therefore these ancient words, 
fierce and violent, have more vitality at the pres- 
ent time, and answer better to the needs of modern 
souls than all the classic masterpieces of antiquity, 
Therefore these stray pages, sent forth twenty-six cen- 
turies ago among two imperfectly civilized tribes, and 
exposed to the vicissitudes of national life, constitute a 
production that will live forever. 

James Darmstetter. 



/JfXPPRESSION shall not always reign ; 
^■^ There comes a brighter day, 
When freedom, burst from every chain, 
Shall have triumphant sway: 

Then right shall over might prevail, 

And truth's full armed array, 
The hosts of tyrant wrong assail, 

And hold eternal sway. 

136 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XVIII. £0 e buffering TOfneee for (Bob. 



Thou, O God, hast proved us ; Thou hast tried us, 
as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into a net (for 
our feet). Thou laidest affliction upon our loins. 
Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads ; we 
went through fire and through water, but Thou 
broughtest us out to liberty. — Psalm Ixvi. /o, 12. 



-dt'OR the sufferings of Israel, transformed by triumph- 
f** ant prophecy after the exile, are no longer, as 
at the time of Jeremiah and of militant prophecy, only 
the expiation of her faults, the ignominious punishment 
for her sins; they are now conceived of as the price of 
salvation of the human soul. God has placed his spirit 
in Israel, through her to acquaint the nations with jus- 
tice. It is, therefore, not in vain that Israel suffered, 
that she was despised and rejected of men, a people 
of sorrows, acquainted with grief. Sent by the Lord to 
preach His Word, she was not rebellious, and recoiled 
not from the burden of sorrow. She gave her cheek to 
those that struck her, her face to those that insulted 
her, and hid not her countenance, although reviled and 
spat upon. As the lamb that is led to the slaughter, as 
the sheep that is dumb before the shearer, she opened 
not her mouth, and therefore she shall not die. Men 
believe her stricken of God, whereas she was afflicted to 
reclaim them from their sins; it was for their salva- 
tion that she was chastised. And she is growing 
neither weary nor discouraged, so that justice may be 

137 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

established upon the earth ; and the far off islaAds are 
waiting for her instruction. God makes Israel a law- 
giver unto the nations, and peoples that know her not 
yet, shall in the future hasten to her. She shall lead 
the stranger to the holy mountain; for the House of 
God shall be called a House of Prayer for all peoples. 

James Darmstetter. 



xix. Zxu (pfefc 

Bring no more vain oblations ; incense is an 
abomination unto me ; your new moons and sabbaths, 
and calling of assemblies I cannot away with. Wash 
you, make you clean, . . . cease to do evil ; 
learn to do well ; seek justice ; relieve the oppressed ; 
judge the fatherless ; plead for the widow. — Isaiah 
i. ij, 17. 



*lT is true that the horizon of modern humanity is not 
^ that of the Seers of Ephraim. Humanity now has 
an additional torment, which troubled the ancients but 
little, the scientific Torment, which no moral revelation 
can heal, and which the prophets do not speak of. It 
springs, not from the heart of man, the source of all cer- 
tainty, but from his lack of heart. It comes down upon 
him from the stars, it ascends to him from the depths of 
the ages. The lights of science are cold, like those of a 
polar sun. It's balm is a narcotic or a poison, and it 

138 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

will not become wholesome unless it shall lead men by 
way of their moral instinct, to a realizing faith in God 
as revealed in the consciousness of man. 

Nineteen centuries have passed since the noblest 
spirit of Rome, in the face of the vileness of the gods 
and their priests, uttered the cry of outraged reason. 
' ' Nor does piety consist in bowing oneself constantly, 
with veiled face, before a stone and approaching all 
the altars, nor in prostrating oneself on the ground, and 
stretching out open hands towards the sanctuary, nor in 
sprinkling the altars with the blood of beasts ; but in 
contemplating the Universe with a peaceful mind " And 
eight centuries before Lucretius, Amos, the Hebrew 
shepherd, proclaims in the name of his God: " I hate 
your feast days; your holocausts I despise; from your 
offerings of fat beasts I turn away my eyes. Away 
from me the noise of your songs, that I may not 
hear the sound of your lyres! But let righteousness 
gush forth as water, and justice as a never-failing 

stream." 

James Darmstetter. 

7j HE offerings to Thy throne which rise, 
^^ Of mingled praise and prayer, 
Are but a worthless sacrifice 
Unless the heart is there. 



My offerings will indeed be blest, 

If sanctified by Thee, 
If Thy pure spirit touch my breast 

With its own purity. 



139 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XX. $, £ime to Jfcpedl 



And now, O Israel, what doth the Lord, Thy God 
require of thee ? . . . . — Deut. x. 12. 



*tT is not good, either for the individual man, or for any 
** class of men, to dwell with complacency upon their 
merits, or upon any success they have achieved ; for, as 
a rule, such gratification breeds vanity, hinders further 
advancement, and, by over-estimation, lessens the value 
of our deserts. Man's progress in all good things should 
be continual and suffer no interruption. As soon as he 
has reached a step forward, he should ask himself at 
once : And now, what does the Lord, thy God, require 
of thee? He should bestir himself to use every 
achievement as a stepping stone for a still higher point 
in the line towards his ideals. But the wise king has 
told us, and surely not in vain, that " there is a time to 
keep silence and there is a time to speak." When our 
character is publicly assailed, and our good name 
questioned; when we are in danger of being discouraged 
by the reflection that our best endeavors are, after all, 
fruitless — then there is a time for us to ask ourselves: 
Have we merited it? And, if our conscience acquits us, 
this is a time to dwell, with gratitude to God, upon the 
bright side of our past ; a time also, to speak and not 
keep silence; albeit, men accuse us of pride and vain 
glory; a time, I add, to ask ourselves, when our heart is 
writhing under our disappointment : And what does the 
Lord, thy God, require thee to do under this trial and 
what fruit of godliness is it to ripen in thee? 

Adolph Huebsch. 

140 



SUN AND S/IfJiLD. 



fiLlMPLE rule and safest guiding, 
^^ Inward peace and inward might, 
Star upon our path abiding — 

" Trust in God and do the right." 
Some will hate thee, some will love thee, 

Some will flatter, some will slight ; 
Cease from man and look above thee : 

" Trust in God and do the right." 



XXI. Zk QSfeeeins of (prafcim. 

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into rejoic- 
ing ; Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me 
with gladness. — Psalm xxx. ji. 



7t^IME is the best teacher of history, the most compe- 
tent expounder of prophecies. We of this century 
are better able to understand the ways of God with 
Israel in permitting the downfall of the Jewish State 
and the destruction of the National Sanctuary, than were 
those who either witnessed, or suffered from, the effects 
of that great catastrophe. We now see how God links 
events one to the other, until His purpose is reached. 
Jewish religion began with the announcement that the 
descendants of Abraham should carry a certain blessing 
to mankind, and this mission has never been forgotten in 
Israel. Viewed in that light, the revelation on Sinai 
becomes one of the greatest facts in history; it elevates 
the vicissitudes of our people far above the level of a 
mere national record. The idea of that mission 
assumed different forms according to the varying con- 



141 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ditions of those who cherished it ; through all of them 
went the sadness for the lost glory and the hope of its 
restoration in Palestine; until we have learned the 
lesson that human life must be complete in itself and 
cannot depend upon what is no longer or is not yet. 
We, too, are the offspring of Abraham and can spread, 
and are desirous to spread the blessing promised to our 
first father, among all men ; being well assured, that it 
will redound to the peace and welfare of men and the 
Glory of God. Adolph Huebsch, 

[Abbreviated). 
/J^TERNAL Ruler of the ceaseless round 
^^ Of circling planets singing on their way, 
Guide of the nations from the night profound 

Into the glory of the perfect day. 
Rule in our hearts, that we may ever be 
Guided and strengthened and upheld by Thee. 



XXII. £0e fi^ifent, get (potent teacher. 

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise ; 
but a companion of fools shall share their lot. — Prov. 
xiii. 20. 

Let thy house be a meeting-place of wise men. 
Cover thyself with the dust of their feet (t. e., sit at 
their feet like pupils) and drink in their words as 
the thirsty drink water. — Ethics of the Fathers. 



T^HERE are two ways to win men to the fear of God 
and the love of virtue. We may enlighten them 



142 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

with our words, if we have received the gift therefor; 
we may trust to the power of public preaching as 
did those renowned preachers whose words went forth 
and penetrated to the farthest ends of the earth. Or, 
we may enlighten men with our example and instruct 
them with our conduct and bearing, sometimes even in 
spite of themselves. It was therefore, as we read in 
Holy Writ, that Joshua never left Moses, his Master, 
and that Elisha ministered unto Elijah, the prophet, 
until the hour of his death. Now, the Talmud main- 
tains that one derives more benefit from intercourse 
with wise men than from their direct teaching by word 
of mouth; that is to say, when life and teaching of the 
master are in full agreement, when the one is the liv- 
ing commentary on the other. To those who do not 
so impress their words on their hearers, we apply the 
reproach, also given in the Talmud: " Would that thy 
deeds were as beautiful as thy words; it were better 
thou hadst never opened thy mouth ; for no eloquence 
can repair the evil which the beauty of thy words has 
wrought." I SAAC Arama, 

(XV. Century). 

^fV^HAT people hear, 

*M Oft only goes 
From lip to ear, 
And then it flows 
Into the air 
To vanish there; 
What people see 
Is stamped on mind, 
And sure to find 
A voice to plead 
In time of need. 

M3 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIII. ^tt>ing Our ^ouf. 



He that keepeth the Commandments, keepeth his 
own soul — Prov, xix. 16. 

Thorns and snares are in the way of the fro ward ; 
he that guardeth his soul shall be far from them. — 
Prov, xxii.5. 



fiEEK thou the company of the wise, and the friend- 
" ship of them whose hearts are filled with the 
reverence of God's Law; and flee far from those who 
obey Him from vainglory. Avoid thou the doers of 
evil, even though good works might be done with their 
aid. For, without aware they shall steal from thee the 
piety of thy mind, and they shall spoil thee ere that 
thou knowest it. 

Let thy dearest rest be in thine own home, for there 
art thou safe from strife and destruction. 

When thou enterest the House of God, sit thyself 
down in the place of the poor. 

Visit the sick, not less those that are stricken with 
poverty than those that are rich in the goods of the 
world. Let the sympathy that thou shewest, and the 
help that thou bringest, be the sole purpose of thy visit. 

Honor the dead, and go with them on their last 
earthly journey. Visit them that mourn, and comfort 
them. Mark well their pain; for there seest thou the 
fate of all men. Take thou this to heart, and prepare 
thyself early in life. 

And when those of other faiths seek to lead thee 
astray from that of thy fathers, then leave thou thy 



144 



SUN AXD SHIELD. 

country and thy home, and go where thou canst live 
unmolested. Shew thy manhood and thy strength, and 
regret not the possessions that thou leavest behind; 
they are dross in the face of the integrity of thy soul. 

Solomon Alami, 

(XV. Century). 

yj^RANT me the power, the right to see 
^"^ To love the good who follow thee ; 
And in that love, O, grant the love 
Of all on earth, of God above. 



XXIV. tk (gUttnaf £ouf. 

. . . The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord, thy 
God : in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor 
thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy 
maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of 
thy cattle, nor the stranger that is within thy gates. — 
Dent. v. 14. 

The righteous man considereth the soul of his 
cattle. — Prov. xii. 10. 



Tj^HE Talmud tells the following: A calf that was 
about to be slaughtered, fled to Rabbi Yehudah, 
the Prince, and hid its head in his garment. But he re- 
pulsed it, crying: " Go hence! for this hast thou been 
created!" For many years thereafter heavy troubles af- 
flicted the Prince. It happened one day that he saw the 
serving maid about to destroy the young of a cat. " Do 
it not," he cried, "for it is said: God's mercy is ex- 

145 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

tended over all His creatures."- And from this time 
on his burdens grew lighter, and finally ceased. 

Noxious animals maybe killed; but must not suffer 
unnecessary pain. The same holds good of beasts re- 
quired for nourishment, or for the healing of the sick. We 
are not bidden to save the calf that ministers to our sus- 
tenance. The evils that came upon the Rabbi were not 
punishments, but trials, such as God sends to the great- 
est and the best, so that others may take example from 
their conduct. For God demands accounting more 
strictly of those that are favored mentally, than He 
does of ordinary persons; a hair's breadth straying from 
the straight path is heavy sin in them. Rabbi Yehu- 
dah, the Prince, should not have used the words: " For 
this hast thou been created;" and he should have per- 
mitted the animal to find refuge, for a time at least, with 
him. For the contrary behavior in this great man and 
teacher has surely hardened the heart of many a one 
towards animals ; nor was he justified in saying that the 
calf had only been created to be killed. And I would 
believe that every living being, even that which may be 
slaughtered, will be recompensed by the Creator for the 
agonies that it has endured. For it is opposed to justice 
to believe, what the words of the great Rabbi implied, 
that wrong should be done to any being, be it man or 
animal. Rabbi Achai, 

(VIII. Century). 

/VTLESSED is the man whose softening heart 

yjjf Feels all another's pain ; 

To whom the supplicating eye 

Was never raised in vain. 

146 



SUN AXD SHIELD. 



XXV. ^jritifuaf (nurture. 



Come, children, hearken unto me ; I will teach 
you the fear of God. — Psalms xxxzv. it. 



/JT\ MY beloved, be ye wise in that fear only; and you 
will prove that you have gained that wisdom, if 
you forsake it not when men scorn you for it. Set 
apart a fixed time of each day for the study of God's 
Word, and try also to teach it to others; for thereby the 
Law will be the more firmly rooted in your own mem- 
ory. Do not imagine you stand in no need of either 
such constant learning or teaching, on the plea that you 
have, as it were, inherited much learning from your 
father, and through him, from your forefathers; on the 
contrary, you are only the more culpable if you give up 
the constant study of God's teachings. I counsel you 
also, to exhort one another by turns from the texts of 
Midrash (the homilies of the early Masters), for by this 
practice you will free yourself from many a fault, and 
break the power of many a besetting sin, which you 
cannot otherwise overcome. Make it likewise your cus- 
tom to read often in such books, as " The Duties of the 
heart," the "Book of Righteousness," "Call to Repent- 
ance; " take their instructions to heart, and live in ac- 
cordance with them. Beware! O beware! lest you be 
numbered with any one of the four classes of people, of 
whom our Sages affirm that they never can appear be- 
fore the face of God: liars, mockers, gamblers, slan- 
derers. — From the Testament of JeliudaJi ben Asker, 

(XIV. Century). 

M7 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



xxvi. £0 e ©teab of <£m>g. 



Wrath is cruel and anger is outrageous, but who is 
able to stand before envy ? — Prov. xxvii. 4. 



'YrtHEN the word of the Lord came to Moses: Get 
thee up unto the mountain; for there thou shalt 
die; henceforth Joshua shall lead My people, Moses 
prayed: O, let me live and be servant to Joshua, and 
go over Jordan with him ? And the Lord answered : 
Be it unto thee according to thy prayer. 

Then the two men went to the tabernacle, and the 
cloud descended and separated one from the other. 
When it rose again, Moses said: "Joshua, my master, 
what word was revealed unto thee ? " And Joshua 
said: "Didst thou not hear it? How strange; for 
whenever I was at thy side, I always did hear the voice 
of God and understood His bidding." 

Moses bent his head; shame covered his face; and 
the spirit of envy whispered to him thoughts of evil ! 
But for a moment only. For he fell on his face and 
cried: O Lord, a hundred deaths rather than One sting 
of envy. 

And Moses went up and entered a cave, and laid 
himself down on the rocky floor, and the Almighty 
came, and, with a kiss, freed the pure soul of the 
prophet from its earthly bonds, and lifted it into His 
presence where there is fulness of joy for evermore. 

G. G., 
{After the Midrash). 
148 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

A\ BLESSED life ! heart, mind and soul 
^■^ From self-born aims and wishes free, 

In all at one with Deity 
And loyal to the Lord's control. 

O life, how blessed ! how divine ! 

High life, the earnest of a higher ! 
Father ! fulfill my deep desire 

And let this blessed life be mine. 



xxvii. tfy 3og of tfe %wi$ $&m$. 

Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on 
the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusa- 
lem ; neither carry forth a burden out of your houses 
on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but 
hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I have commanded ye. 
— -Jeremiah xvii. 2i> 22. 



T^O the ancient polytheists, nothing seemed so joyless 
as the austerity of a Jewish Sabbath. It was a 
strange abandonment of all the vocations of life. They 
saw the fields of the Hebrew forsaken by the laborer; 
the ass unsaddled; the oar laid by in the boat; they 
marked a dead stillness pervading the habitation of the 
Israelite; the fire extinguished, the meat unprepared; 
the man servant and the maiden leave their work, and 
the trafficker, at least one day in the week, refusing the 
offered coin. . . . The interior delights of the habita- 
tion of the Hebrew were invisible alike to the poly- 
theist and the Christian fathers. They heard not the 

149 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

domestic greetings which cheerfully announced " the 
good Sabbath," nor the paternal benediction for the 
sons, nor the blessing of the aged master for his pupils. 
They could not behold the mistress of the house watch- 
ing the sunset and then lighting the seven wicks of the 
lamp of the Sabbath suspended during its consecration ; 
for oil to fill the Sabbath lamp the mendicant implored 
an alms. . . . Thus, in the busy circle of life, was there 
one immovable point where the weary rested and the 
wealthy enjoyed a heavenly repose. 

Isaac Disraeli. 

/yJTRING fruits and wine and sing a gladsome lay, 

vjj Cry : " Come in peace, O restful Seventh Day." 

Greet we the Sabbath at our door, 

Wellspring of blessing evermore, 

With everlasting gladness fraught, 

Of old ordained, divinely taught, 

Last in creation, first in thought. 



XXVII. £iq>et*fifion. 

Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto 
you, O house of Israel : Learn not the way of the 
heathen and be not dismayed at the signs of the 
heavens because the heathen are dismayed at them. 
— Jer, x. i. 2. 



T^HERE is a whole class of ordinances in the Law 

doubtless tending to save man from the errors of 

idolatry and the evil practices connected with it ; e. g. , 

ISO 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

observing the times, enchantment, witchcraft, incan- 
tation, consulting with familiar spirits, and the like. 

Those who teach and practice these things 
caused others to believe, or they themselves believed, 
that by means of those arts they w T ould perform won- 
derful things on behalf of individuals or whole nations, 
although no analogy and no reasoning can discover any 
relation between those performances and the promised 
results. . . . Our Law would make us abandon this 
evil belief and keep at the greatest possible distance 
from it. 



Moses Maimoxides. 



$ 



ROM sin's dread power I fain would rly 
And to my Lord betake me ; 

When I for help and counsel cry 
Thou, God, wilt not forsake me. 

Thy gracious spirit Thou wilt send, 

My stubborn heart tow'rd Thee to bend, 
And wholly Thine to make me. 



XXIX. Chosen anb get J5in £crt»en. 



Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a 
trumpet and show my people their transgression and 
the house of Jacob their sins. — Isaiah Iviii. /. 

The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron and 
with a point of diamond ; it is engraven upon the 
tables of their heart and the horns of their altar. — 
Jeremiah, xvii. i. 



3 



T should not be necessary to tell thoughtful people 
that when the Jews continue, even at this time, to 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

cling to the old designation, God's Chosen Race, they 
forget that their forefathers were also stigmatized as a 
" Sin-laden People," M Offspring of Evil-doers, " and with 
similar invectives; or, that they believe that every Jew 
was chosen for his own deserts. Was every Greek or 
every Roman of ancient days worthy of the honor in 
which his nation is still held ? Emerson's pointed 
question might be remembered with profit: Here is 
Christianity, but where are the Christians? The English 
people are justly famed for their inborn respect for 
" The Majesty of the Law; " but who fills their jails and 
keeps their criminal courts busy? Their penal code was 
within the beginning of the present century one of 
the most barbarous; it still counted over eighty 
crimes punishable with death. The character of a 
people is like the property, the coins, the debts of a 
State : belonging to all and yet to no one individually. 
And is there any other race whose sins have been 
driven home so unsparingly, have been proclaimed 
in such trumpet sounds, as those of Judah and Israel? 
Yet the people bent their heads under the chasten- 
ing rod and, so far from trying to hide their shame, 
they themselves placed the seal of Divine Authority 
upon the book in which their chastisements are written ; 
they themselves, and no one with them, saved their 
indictment from destruction, aye, and carried it with 
them to every part of the earth, whither the will of 
God or the tyranny of men had driven them. 

G. G. 

IS2 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

3 N whatsoe'er my people sinned, I'll share 
Most willingly the burden that they bear 
And raise my arms in prayer to none but Thee 
Who else would be so merciful to me ? 



XXX. Zfc Comforter. 



Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. 
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her, 
that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is 
pardoned : for she hath received of the Lord's hand 
double for all her sins. — Isaiah xl. /, 2. 



T^HUS saith the Lord: In an acceptable time have I 
heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped 
thee ; I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant 
of the people, to establish the earth, and cause to inherit 
the desolate heritages. Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, 
O earth ; and break forth into singing, O mountains : for 
the Lord hath comforted His people and will have 
mercy upon the afflicted. But Zion said: The Lord 
hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 
Can a woman forget her sucking child that she shall 
not have compassion on her son? Yea, even if she 
may forget, yet will I not forget thee. — Isaiah xlix. <?, 

P, 'J, 15. 

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, 
we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth 

'53 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

filled with laughter and our tongue with singing; then 
said they among the heathen : the Lord hath done great 
things for them. . . . They that sow in tears shall reap 
in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing 
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoic- 
ing, bringing his sheaves with him. — Psalm cxxvi. 

i^HILDREN of the martyr-race, 
^^ Whether free or fettered, 
Wake the echoes of your songs, 
Where ye may be scattered. 
Yours the message cheering 
That the time is nearing 
Which shall see 
All men free, 
Tyrants disappearing. 



r *54 



Jfyumanity. 



O Thou, who heareth prayer, unto Thee shall all 
flesh come. — Psalm Ixv. 2. 

The righteous of all the nations of the earth shall 
share the bliss of the world to come. — The Pharisees. 

On hearing men speak of the virtues of mankind, 
approve, follow and rejoice therein. — Chinese. 



i5S 



I. 2$e (KiMjoom of (Bob. 



All the ends of the world shall remember and 
turn to the Lord : and all the kindreds of the nations 
shall worship Thee. — Psalm xxii. 2j. 



T^HERE is a kingdom which denieth access to none 
who would enter it ; no wanderer hath ever been 
turned away from its borders ; all men are free to estab- 
lish themselves within its limits and to appropriate of 
its land as much as they desire. 

Know ye the kingdom? Never has it bowed to armed 
power; in it high and low are measured by standards 
different from those in all other countries. No trai- 
tors are found there, unless it be those who commit 
treachery against themselves. 

Oh, say! know ye this kingdom? It is the kingdom 
of God. Whosoever sets out to find its borders loses 
not his way, and meets a loving welcome there. He 
may extend his possessions, and introduce friend or 
foe; and none shall hinder or disturb him. If, how- 
ever, we do not choose to become citizens of that king- 
dom, we shall in no wise be coerced to do so. If we 
do not seek its gates of our own accord, we shall not be 
carried thither; no messenger will come to rouse us, if 
we prefer to lie dreaming upon the ground, content to 
sleep away our span of life. If we are not willing to 

157 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

till the soil and build us dwelling's, no stranger hands 
will do this for us ; neither are altars and temples reared 
there at command, only the love of God and man can 
cause them to spring up. Unworthy motives, petty 
aims, vainglory, thirst for power, selfishness, indiffer- 
ence to the fate of fellowmen have no room in that fair 
realm ; for these things the soil has no nourishment, the 
climate no life-giving warmth, the heavens no dew or 
rain. Those who yield and persist in those ignoble 
impulses are at last cast out, and go away more wretched 
than they came. 

O blessed kingdom of our God, when wilt thou 
extend over all the races of men on earth ? When will 
thy banner be raised over happy and contented man- 
kind ? 

Leopold Zunz. 

^V%E will extol the Lord of Lords whose name 

*^ Is evermore and everywhere adored, 
In songs and hymns our lips His praise shall frame, 
We will extol the Lord, the Lord of all. 

II. (gteBBfonic Qprager, 

Who should not fear Thee, O King of nations ? 
for to Thee does it appertain : for as much as among 
all the wise men of the nations, and in all their 
kingdoms there is none like Thee. — Jeremiah x. 7. 



fW\ AY Thy presence be manifest to us in all Thy works, 
V- and reverence of Thee fill the hearts of all the 



158 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

children of man; may they bow before Thee in humility, 
and uniting to do Thy will, acknowledge that Thine is 
the kingdom, the power and the majesty, and that Thou 
art exalted above all. Grant hope to them that seek 
Thee; inspire with courage them that wait for Thee; 
be nigh unto all that put their trust in Thee. 
Then shall the just rejoice and the righteous be glad and 
iniquity be silenced and the world acknowledge Thee 
alone as God and Ruler in heaven and on earth. May 
Thy kingdom come speedily and unite all men in the 
bonds of brotherhood and peace; so that every creature 
may know that Thou hast created it and every living 
being say: The Eternal ruleth and His dominion 
endureth for ever. 

Ancient Jewish Liturgy. 



^ ORD ! who art merciful as well as just, 
^* Incline Thine ear to me, a child of dust ! 
Not what I would, O Lord, I offer Thee, 
Alas ! but what I can. 
Father Almighty, who hast made me man, 
And bade me look to heaven, for Thou art there, 

Accept my sacrifice and humble prayer. 
Four things which are not in Thy treasury, 
I lay before Thee, Lord, with this petition : 
My nothingness, my wants, 
My sins and my contrition. 

*59 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



III. £0e (f)o#er of feooe. 



And Ruth (the Moabitish woman) said to Naomi 
(the Israelitish) : Entreat me not to leave thee or to 
return from following thee : for whither thou goest I 
will go, where thou lodgest I will lodge : thy people 
shall be my people, and thy God my God — Ruth 
i. 16. 



1CERE is more, far more, than a touch of nature that 
J makes a world akin ; it is a complete triumph of 
the human heart over the divisions of race, nation and 
religion, divisions marked often in darkest lines and 
maintained in bitterest hatred. By the breath of love 
they were wiped away ; soul clung to soul, and heart 
to heart. This gospel of humanity was proclaimed by 
a woman, whose name the nation of her adoption has 
enshrined in its sacred records and honored by giving 
her a place in the pedigree of David, and through him, 
in that of Messiah. 

G. G. 



The narrow-minded ask: Is this one of our tribe, or 
is he a stranger ? But to those who are of a noble 
mind the whole world is but one family. 

Is there any bolt that can shut in love? A tear will 
publish it. 

Hindu. 

160 



SUN AXD SHIELD. 



IV. Zf}t £&urefg of (peace, 



Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shalt prosper 
that love thee; peace be within thy walls, prosperity 
within thy palaces. For my brethren and companion's 
sake I will now say: Peace be within thy walls. — 
Psalm cxxii. 6, 7. 



TJ^HE surety for the peace which the Psalmist praises, 
is: love, good will, and friendship; and these are 
demanded by the singer. Therefore the departing 
priests in the Temple at Jerusalem were wont to bless 
their successors with the words: May He whose holy 
Name is called over this house grant in your midst love, 
brotherhood, peace and friendship. Rabbi Eleazar 
closed his daily prayer for peace with the words : May 
the God of our Fathers cause peace, brotherhood, and 
unity to dwell amongst us at all times. Such peace 
gives us strength and blessing; and it may be compared 
to a palace resting on ships; so long as these remain 
chained to one another, the building is secure, but if 
they are separated, the house falls asunder. Then only 
does God abide in our midst, w T hen the feeling of 
unity binds together the heads and the members of the 
congregation and the people. Only then can the hour 
of deliverance approach; then only can Israel fulfill its 
mission; then only can the Name of God be glorified 
and reverenced, and He be acknowledged as the Ruler 
of the world. T 

JEHUDAH MUSCATO, 

(XVI. Century.) 

x6i 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

All Scriptural blessings end with peace. Where that 
is wanting, there is no true blessing. " Seek peace and 
pursue it" says the Psalmist; he means: Seek it in 
thine own place and pursue it in other places. 

The Pharisees. 



V. 



Z$t (JXflfcr of (Btdtitube. 



What could have been done more to my vineyard, 
that I have not done in it ? wherefore, when I looked 
that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild 
grapes ? For the vineyard of the Lord of 

hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah 
His pleasant plant ; and he looked for justice and 
behold, oppression ; for right, and behold, outcry. — - 
Isaiah v. 4, 7. 



M F gratitude vanished from the earth there would dis- 
^ appear with it one of the foundation pillars of 
Humanity. In the exercise of love God created the 
earth. Does He demand no return for the mercies that 
He bestows on us? Which of us did the Perfect One 
need, who suffices for Himself? He requires gratitude 
from us, so that we may be aware of the lofty worth 
of our existence. The Psalmist calls on all created 
things, even the inanimate ones, to praise the Lord 
(Psalm 148). Mankind can never spare that grateful 
spirit from which the feeling of duty springs ; and on 
making return for that which one man receives from 
another, depends the continuance of human society. For 
the main advantage of society is that all members 

162 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

receive benefits at the same time, and share them with 
one another. As the life of the human body is depend- 
ent on constant nutritive changes, so also is the life of 
humanity. Selfishness pushed to its extreme causes 
the death of both. When we accept services without re- 
turning them, we embitter, by our ingratitude, hearts 
that are disposed to serve us. Hence is the Talmud 
right in saying: " The rain, which fructifies all things, 
falls only on account of the righteous, that is, the 
thankful; for they alone maintain human society." As 
our teacher Simon, the Just, has expressly declared : 
" All works of love are only acknowledgments of the 
love that we receive from God. Isaac Arama. 

The wise will remember through a sevenfold 
birth the hand that wiped away a tear. 

^HOUGH the benefit be small. 
^^ Smaller than a millet-seed, 
They to whom was done the deed, 
See it as a palm tree tall. — Hindu. 

VI. £0e fruitfuf £ree. 

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life ; and he 
that winneth souls is wise. — Prov. xi, jo. 

That they might be called trees of righteousness, 
the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. — 
Isaiah Ixi. j. 



3 



N the Talmud likewise the righteous man is likened 
to a fruitful tree ; his piety is like the cool shade of 



^z 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

its leafy branches ; and in it mankind can find protec- 
tion in troublous times. And the tree that bears but 
leaves, and rustles loudly in the wind, is like the noisy 
boaster; whilst the heavy and muffled tones of the 
laden fruit tree are the symbols of the life of the pious 
man, quiet and rich in good deeds. Once the fruit- 
bearing trees were asked : Why do ye not rustle loudly 
like the others ? And they answered : We need not 
proclaim our presence; we are sought after for our 
fruits. . . . And Rabbi Hunah gives another answer: 
The fruit trees cannot rustle because their fruit is heavy 
and bends their branches earthwards; whilst the other 
trees can rustle, for they are not weighed down with 
fruit. 

Also the tree of mighty roots, that stands upright 
before all the storms, is used to symbolize the pious 
man ; whilst the scoffer is likened to the tree whose roots 
are few and thin, and which the first storm of winter 
lays low. 

Long was the question argued in the academy of the 
Pharisees; whether of the two was of greater value, 
the study of the law or the doing of good works. At 
length it was decided in favor of the study of the law ; 
inasmuch as this, if pursued in the right spirit, cannot 
fail to lead to good works, and has its own merit 
besides. 

August Wuensche. 
164 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



VII. £0e (EtJerfaefing @Um0. 



Lift up your eyes on high and behold, who hath 
created these things, that bringeth out their host by 
number; lie calleth them all by names ; by the great- 
ness of His might, for that He is strong in power, not 
one faileth. Why, then, sayest thou, O Jacob, and 
speakest, O Israel : my way is hid from the Lord and 
my judgment is passed over from my God ? — Isaiah 
xl. 26, 2J. 



^YlHO then sees and sustains us little mortals made 
of dust? Thou, all-gracious One, Thou infinite 
One, Thou, O God, formest us. Thou seest us, thou 
lovest us. O brother, raise thy spirit and grasp the 
greatest thought of man. There where eternity is — 
there where immensity is, and where right begins — 
there an Infinite Spirit spreads out its arms and folds 
them around the universe of worlds, and bears it and 
warms it. I and thou, and all men, and all angels, and 
all worms rest on His bosom. He sees away through 
the ocean wherein coral-trees full of earths sway to and 
fro, and sees the little worm that cleaves to the small- 
est coral — which worm is I — and He gives the worm 
the nearest drop, and a blissful heart, and a future, and 
an eye to look up even to Himself — yea, O God, even 
up to Thee, even to Thy heart. 



So long as the word "God" endures in a language 
will it direct the eyes of men upwards. It is with the 



165 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Eternal as with the sun; if but its smallest part can 
shine uneclipsed, it prolongs the day and gives its 
rounder image in the dark chamber. 

Jean Paul F. Richter. 

^YVjHERE'ER ascends the sacrifice 

**^ Of fervent praise and prayer, 
Or on the earth, or in the skies, 

The heaven of God is there. 
His presence e'er is spread abroad 

Through realms, through worlds unknown, 
Who seek the mercies of our God 

Are ever near His throne. 



VIII. Zfc QSrotfcrfcob of (ttUn. 

One ordinance shall be both for you of the congre- 
gation and also for the stranger that sojourneth with 
you, an ordinance forever in your generations ; as ye 
are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord. One 
Law and one mariner shall be for you, and for the 
stranger that sojourneth with you. — Numbers xv. ijf, 
16. 



^VlE are by nature predisposed to love mankind. 
Take away love and benevolence, and you take 
away all the joy of life. Men are born for the sake of 
men, that they may mutually benefit one another. 

When man shall have learned to look upon himself as 
a citizen of the universe, considered as One Common- 
wealth — to what a knowledge of himself will he attain ! 

Cicero. 

i 66 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

To love and serve all men is to delight in God. 

Mencius. 

Give bread to a stranger in the name of the universal 
brotherhood which binds all men together under the 
common Father of nature. Quintillian. 

God, who creates and inspires men, willed that they 
should be equal. He made them all capable of wisdom ; 
he imposed the same laws upon all; and He has 
promised immortality to all. As He furnishes food for 
all and gives the sweet repose of sleep to all, so doth 
He give capacity for virtue to all. With Him no one is 
slave and no one is master. Lactantius. 

And a great multitude had gathered around the 
Rabbi, and one of the disciples asked him, Tell us, O 
master, why Deborah, a woman, was chosen to be 
prophet and judge in Israel, and not the High Priest 
Eleazar? Then the Rabbi lifted up his voice and 
said : Verily, I call heaven and earth to witness that 
every human creature, Jew or stranger, man or 
woman, free or bond, may be filled with the spirit of 
God if they render themselves worthy to receive it. — 
Midrash. 



IX. (Refusion <kk& J)umdntfg. 

For all people will walk every one in the name of 
his God, and we will walk in the name of the Lord, 
our God, forever and ever. — Micah iv. j. 



-^OR one thing, I cannot look at the succession of the 
^ ages, and see what a tremendous part religion has 

167 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

been playing on the busy scene, without being con- 
vinced that here is something essential to the complete- 
ness of humanity, something so deeply implicated in its 
structure that it can no more be taken out of it without 
destructive consequences, than the bones can be taken 
out of a man's body or his muscles unstrung of every 
quivering nerve. No other force or institution has 
played such a stupendous part in human history, has 
reared such splendid fanes, dominated such mighty 
nations and events, inspired such hopes and fears. 

And when we think of what religion has been in its 
total manifestation, in its terror and its beauty, in its 
loveliness and its joy, in its strength to build, its energy 
to sway, its might to set up and cast down, then might 
we not as rationally believe that the art of government, 
the State, or the passion for beauty, or the love of men 
and women for each other was something superficial, 
something that might have its day, and cease to be, as 
to believe these things of religion ? It may be sub- 
jected to incalculable transformations in the future as 
it has been in the past, but they will not destroy its 
identity nor bring upon its perpetuity the shadow of a 
doubt. 



John W. Chadwick. 



A%UT of the heart of nature rolled 
^ The burdens of the Bible old ; 
The litanies of nations came, 
Like the volcano's tongue of flame, 
Up from the burning core below 
The canticles of love and woe. 



168 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



X. £0e TEtBbom of t$e Woe. 



Who, like the wise man, knoweth the meaning of 
a thing ? his wisdom maketh his face to shine pleas- 
antly and softeneth the boldness of his countenance 
— Ecclesiastes viii. i. 



^27^DOM is the greatest good, for it doth not depart 
from man. And the mark of wisdom is that a 
man is modest, humble, and mild; that his bearing is 
polite, peaceful, and forgiving; that his actions are 
moderate and his speech sparing. The wise man har- 
bors neither revenge nor envy; he speaks good of all 
men, and belittles none. He avoids vain distinctions of 
honor before men; he is moderate in his merriment, 
and rejoices not at the misfortune of others. He 
cleaves fast to the men of truth and faithfulness. And 
by these modes he seeks to peacefully instruct man- 
kind. The ornament of the wise is morality; as the 
Romans said : Morality is the external revelation of the 
soul, therefore seek to model it as perfectly as possible. 
Aristotle said: Morality needs no nobility of birth; 
and he adds: Morality ornaments riches, and hides the 
poverty of the poor. I counsel thee, make no alliance 
with fools, and with those puffed up with vanity; for 
he that does that, is like a man that waters a tree that 

is already dead. T ^ 

Jechiel of Rome. 

To discern truth in everything and accept it by whomsoever spoken, that 
is wisdom. Hindu. 

169 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

They asked Lokman : Of whom he had learned philosophy ; he answered^ 
Of the blind ; they never advance a step until they have tried the ground. 

Not a word can be said, even in the midst of sport, from which a wise 
man will not derive instruction ; but if a hundred chapters of philosophy 
are read to a thoughtless person, it will seem to his ears folly and sport. 

Saadi. 

XL £0e ZxMb of (Breaf ^oufe. 

Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of 
His pious ones. — Psalm cxvi. ij. 

The Lord hath chastened me sore, but He hath 
not given me over unto death. — Psalm cxviii. 18. 

In the night-time His song was with me. — 
Psalm xlii. g. 



ft\ GOD! Thou lookest down upon my misery (his 
utter deafness). Thou knowest that it is accom- 
panied with love of my fellow-creatures and a disposi- 
tion to do good ! O men, when ye shall read this, think 
that you have wronged me ; and let the child of affliction 
take comfort on finding one like himself, who, in spite 
of all the impediments of nature did all that lay in him 
to obtain admittance into the ranks of worthy artists 
and men. You, my brothers, as soon as I am dead, ask 
Prof. Schmidt to write a description of my disease and 
to that description annex this paper that, after my 
death, the world may be reconciled with me. . . . 
What you have done to me to grieve me, that, you 
know, has long been forgiven. Recommend virtue to 
your children; that alone, not wealth, can give happi- 
ness. I speak from experience. It was this that upheld 



170 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

me in affliction; it is owing to this and to my art that I 
did not terminate my life by my own hand. Farewell, 
and love one another. . . . How glad I am to 
think that I may be of use to you even in my grave. 
If death come before I have had occasion to develop 
all my professional ability, he will come too soon for 
me; but even then I am content, for he will release me 
from a state of uninterrupted suffering. Do not quite 
forget me; I have deserved to be remembered by you; 
for I have often thought of you to make you happy. 
May you ever be so. Ludwig von Beethoven. 

My music is the product of my genius and my misery; 
and that which I wrote in my greatest distress is that 
which the world seems to like best. 

Franz Schubert. 

TjHE good are better made by ill, 
^^ As odors crushed are sweeter still. 



XII. £0e Continuance of Our £tfe. 

May the All-merciful suffer us to inherit that Day 
which is Sabbath altogether, and that Rest which is 
everlasting Life. — Ancient Hebrevo Prayer. 



7^"HE life we live here is the parent of the next. 
" Heaven is but earth made richer." The rest of 
death is as the work of this life, dropping the body 
only, as the Sabbath Day is like Monday or Friday. 
The distinction is plain. There is in every one of us, 

i 7 i 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

in so far as we are thinking beings, a separate life : the 
life of thought and feeling, the reverie and the keen 
anxiety of the future, the sense of sin and guilt, the 
fear of punishment ; we toil and drudge long after the 
wants of the body are satisfied ; we are all being driven 
by this second life, by the passions of the mind. The 
larger portion of our religious experiences lies in the 
contest between the sense of right and wrong, that 
requires a faith in something higher than the things 
that are seen. The lover of fashion is, in a sense, liv- 
ing after a faith in something which art declares neces- 
sary. The man of pleasure who rises above a brute, 
guilds the horizon of his low landscape with some sort 
of faith. It is the other part of us, asserting itself. 
We may well say then, dropping the body, the identity 
of the two lives is certain as a fact of revelation. In 
this body of clay we fear death. There we lose that 
fear. . . . We lose the pains of sickness. There 
God will wipe away all the tears from the eyes. But 
this very promise implies the sameness of the real life, 
linking together the two parts of man's destiny. 

Charles H. Hall. 

/PATERNITY ! O mighty, wondrous thought, 
^^ What words sufficient for so high a theme ; 
With promises of God's sweet mercy fraught — 
The joyous morning after this life's dream. 

A dream that points to hope of future need, 

The recompense of every earthly woe ; 
Our trust in God that they whose soul he freed, 

Immunity from earthly troubles know. 

172 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



xiii. £§t 3beaf &f«*g* Wtf (Ue. 



Seest thou a man skilled in his work — he shall 
stand before kings. — Proverbs xxii. 2Q. 

I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of 
my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. — 
Psalm Ixxxiv. 10. 



7^HE situation that has not its duty, its ideal, was 
never yet occupied by man. Yes, here, in this 
poor, miserable, hampered, despicable Actual, wherein 
thou even now standest, here or nowhere is thy Ideal; 
work it out therefrom; and working, believe, live, be 
free. Fool! the Ideal is in thyself, the impediment, 
too, is in thyself : thy condition is but the stuff thou art 
to shape that same Ideal out of: what matters whether 
such stuff be of this sort or that, so the form thou giv- 
est it be heroic, be poetic. O thou that pinest in the 
imprisonment of the Actual, and criest bitterly to the 
gods for a kingdom wherein to rule and create, know 
this of a truth : the thing thou seekest is already with 
thee, "here or nowhere," couldst thou only see! 

Thomas Carlyle. 

Why did the Lord chose the Bramble for a place of 
Revelation to Moses? To teach us that the humblest 
creature may become a seat of the Sh'chinah (Divine 
Manifestation). — The Pharisees. 

*73 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

(Y\0 answer comes to those that pray 

\** And idly stand, 

And wait for stones to roll away 

At God's command; 
He will not break the binding cords 

Upon us laid, 
If we depend on pleading words 

And will not aid. 

¥ 

XIV. QReft^ion anb gome. 

And the Lord said : Shall I hide from Abraham that 
thing which I do ? Seeing that Abraham shall surely 
become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations 
of the earth shall be blessed in him? For I know 
him that he will command his children and his house- 
hold after him, that they shall keep the way of the 
Lord to do justice and judgment — Genesis xviii. 
17-19. _____^_ 

*l USE this text to-day to make one point of it: the 
*" virtues which are taught in the revealed religion 
are the virtues of home. . ; . The Deity is repre- 
sented under the form of a man, debating, as it were, 
whether He shall tell Abraham what He means to do. 
The point on which He seems to turn and come to a 
decision is the fact that He knows him, " that he will 
command his children and his household after him that 
they shall keep the way of the Lord." The authority 
of the parent is thus made the corner-stone of the pri- 
mary religion. The virtues of all revealed religion 
were to be taught at home. They are still. In our 
zeal for the complicated machinery of religion, for 

174 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

which I thank God as useful in its place, we are always 
inclined to forget this law. Religion seems to rise up 
in our minds as if it were altogether ecclesiastical or 
sacerdotal — some few words of devotion, some schemes 
of missions, some set modes of alms-giving, and assem- 
bling in public to read the Bible and listen to preach- 
ing. The virtues of good neighborhood, " the justice 
and judgment," of which the text speaks, seem to 
belong to the inferior agencies of school and home. Is 
this true ? Is it so in the great scheme of revealed 

religion ? I think not. 

Charles H. Hall. 

*7jO make a happy fireside clime 
^^ For weans and wife, 
That is the true pathos and sublime 
Of human life. 

xv. TOfof (0 CMfe? 

. . . Deal thy bread to the hungry, bring the 
poor that are cast out to thy house ; when thou seest 
the naked cover him, and never hide thyself from 
thine own flesh. — Isaiah foiii. y. 



/feVERY good act is Charity. Giving water to the 
thirsty is charity. Removing stones and thorns 
from the road is charity. Exhorting your fellow-men 
to virtuous deeds is charity. Smiling in your brother's 
face is charity. Putting a wanderer in the right path is 
charity. A man's true wealth is the good he does in 

175 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

this world. When he dies, mortals will ask what prop- 
erty has he left behind him ; but angels will inquire, 
" What good deeds hast thou sent before thee ? " 

Mahomet. 

7j HAT is no true alms which the hand can hold ; 
^^ He gives nothing but worthless gold 

Who gives from a sense of duty. 
But he who gives but a slender mite 
And gives to that which is out of sight, 

That thread of the all-sustaining Beauty 
Which runs through all and doth all unite — 
The hand cannot clasp the whole of his alms, 
The heart outstretches its meager palms, 
For Heaven goes with it and makes it store 
To the soul that was starving in darkness before. 



XVI. Qfopenf for 3ff fig ©oing <&oob. 

Offer the sacrifice of mercy and put your trust in 
the Lord.- — Psalm iv. 5. 

For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the 
knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. — Hosea 
vi. 6. 

^ET every man lovingly cast all his thoughts and 
cares, and his sins, too, as it were, on the Will of 
God. Moreover, if a man, while busy in this lofty 
inward work, were called by some duty in the Provi- 
dence of God to cease therefrom, and cook a broth for 
some sick person, or any other such service, he should 
do so willingly and with great joy. If I had to forsake 

176 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

such work, and go out to preach or aught else, I should 
go cheerfully, believing not only that God would be 
with me, but that He would vouchsafe me it may be 
even greater grace and blessing in that external work 
undertaken out of true love in the service of my neigh- 
bor, than I should perhaps receive in my season of 
loftiest contemplation. 

John Tauler. 

3F there be some weaker one, 
Give me strength to help him on ; 
If a blinder soul there be, 
Let me guide him nearer Thee. 
Make my mortal dreams come true 
With the work I fain would do ; 
Clothe with life the weak intent, 
Let me be the thing I meant ; 
Let me find in Thy employ 
Peace that dearer is than joy. 

XVII. gafreb an* (pribe. 

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart . . . ; 
thou shalt not avenge thyself nor bear any grudge 
against the children of thy people. — Leviticus xix. 
17, 18. 

Thy terribleness hath deceived thee and the pride 
of thy heart . . . though thou shouldest make thy 
nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from 
thence, saith the Lord. — Jeremiah xlix. 16. 



® 



WISE man said: " He that sows hatred shall reap 
remorse." Wouldst thou be revenged upon thine 



i 77 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

enemy ? let it be in deeds that will do good both to him 
and to thyself. Aristotle taught Alexander: " Most of 
all do I adjure thee to hate no man in the world; for 
next to the knowledge of God there is no higher truth 
than this: Love all men, good and bad." Practice 
humility; and humility means to suffer wrong without 
revenge, to curb anger, and to live at peace with thy 
neighbor. And let thy conduct be the same to the 
stranger as to the Jews, thy brethren. 

Avoid vainglory, and fly from those that are swollen 
with pride ; nor consider unworthy of thee any lawful 
labor that is necessary for thy maintenance. Rather 
live thou with a fool than with one that is proud of 
spirit; for the proud one thinketh himself better than 
other men, sets himself apart, and is ruthless in his 
behavior to those around him \ and he demands on the 
other hand respect and consideration from all; and in 
the end all men become his enemies. 

Value faithfulness and honesty; but be also honest in 
thy words, as our Sages have said: "Let thy yea be 
yea, and let thy nay be nay." 

3 KNOW that right is right, 
That it is not good to lie ; 
That love is better than spite, 
And a neighbor than a spy; 
I know that passion needs 

The leash of a sober mind ; 
I know that generous deeds 
Some sure reward will find. 

178 



SUN AXD SHIELD. 

XVIII. Z% t £ c 0oof of ^fffiction. 



It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that 1 
might learn Thy statutes. — Psalm cxix. yi. 



^?T may be boldly affirmed that good men generally 
^ reap more substantial benefits from their afflictions 
than bad men from their prosperities; and what they 
lose in wealth and pleasure, they gain in goodness, wis- 
dom, and tranquility. If some are refined like gold in 
the furnace of affliction, there are others, that, like 
chaff, are consumed in it. Mirth is by no means a 
remedy for grief; on the contrary, it raises and inflames 
it. None should despair, because God can help them ; 
and none should presume, because God can crop them. 
He that is puffed up with the first gale of prosperity, 
will bend beneath the first blast of adversity. 

Reproof in adversity has a double sting. Events 
which have the appearance of misfortunes often prove 
a source of future felicity; this consideration should 
help us to support affliction with calmness and forti- 
tude; since we cannot know "what comes after it," as 
Koheleth writes. 



yfVRANT me, O God, to thee to fly 
^^ For comfort when the storm is nigh ; 
Strong in Thy refuge let me stand, 
Strong in the succor of Thy hand. 

179 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



Oh, tear not in a world like this, 

And thou shalt know ere long — 
Know how sublime a thing it is 

To suffer and be strong. 

XIX. £0e <g)i g nifg of Qjton. 



Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; 
for the end of that man is peace. — Psalm xxxvii. 37. 

A good man shall be satisfied of himself. — Prov- 
erbs xiv. 14. 



*l MUST confess that there is nothing that more 
^ pleases me, in all that I read in books, or see in 
mankind, than such passages as represent human nature 
in its proper dignity. As man is a creature made up of 
different extremes, he has something in him very great 
and very mean. A skillful artist may draw an excel- 
lent picture of him in either of these views. The finest 
authors in antiquity have taken him on the more advan- 
tageous side. They cultivate the natural grandeur of 
the soul, raise in her a generous ambition, feed her 
with hopes of immortality and perfection, and do all 
they can to widen the partition between the virtuous 
and the vicious, to make the difference between them 
as between gods and brutes. In short, it is impossible 
to read a page in Plato, in Tully, and a thousand other 
ancient moralists without being a greater and a better 
man for it. I think it is one of Pythagoras's golden 
sayings: " That a man should take care above all things 



c8o 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

to have a due respect for himself." The very design of 
dress, good breeding, outward ornament and ceremony- 
were to lift up human nature and set it off to an advan- 
tage. Architecture, painting, and statuary were in- 
vented with the same design, as indeed every art and 
science contributes to the embellishment of life, and to 
the wearing off and throwing into shades the mean and 
low parts of our nature; and poetry carries on this end, 

more than all the rest. 

Joseph Addison. 

A^PEN thy bosom, set thy wishes wide, 
^r And let in manhood — let in happiness ! 
Amid the boundless theater of thought — 
From nothing up to God — which makes a man. 



XX. £0e (glpoeffe <xf Conscience. 

A great strong wind rent the mountains and rent 
to pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was 
not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, 
but the Lord was not in the earthquake ; and after 
the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the 
fire; and after the fire a still, small Voice. And 
when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in a mantle 
and went out and stood in the entering of the cave. 
And there came a voice to him, saying : What doest 
thou here, Elijah? — I Kings xi. ii-ij. 



<& 



,Y the merciful assistance of the Most High I have 
desired to labor in Europe, in America, with 
English, with barbarians, yea, and also I have longed 

181 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

after some dealing with Jews themselves, for whose 
hard measure, I fear, the nations and England have 
yet a score to pay. I desire not that liberty for myself 
I would not freely and impartially weigh out to all the 
consciences of the world besides. All those consciences 
ought freely and impartially to be permitted their sev- 
eral respective worships, and what way of maintaining 
them, they freely chose. 

It hath been told one that I labored for a contentious 
and licentious people ; I have been charged with folly 
for that freedom and liberty which I have always stood 
for. . . . But, Gentlemen, blessed be God who 
faileth not, and blessed be His name for His wonderful 
Providences by which alone this town and colony, and 
that grand cause of Truth and Freedom of Conscience, 
hath been upheld to this day. Roger Williams. 

(YjET still there whispers the small voice within, 
fa Heard through Gain's silence and o'er Glory's din, 
Whatever creed be taught or land be trod, 
Man's conscience is the oracle of God. 

XXI. Zfc (preset of £oufc£i6ertg. 

There is no man that hath power over the spirit, 
to hinder the spirit, as little as he hath power in the 
day of death. . . . — Ecclesiastes viii. 8. 



@ 



LL experience tells us that public peace and love is 
better than abundance of corn and cattle. I have 



182 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

one only motion and petition which I earnestly pray the 
town to lay to heart, as ever they look for a blessing 
from God on the town, on your families, your corn and 
cattle, and your children after you; it is this: That 
after you have got over the black brook of some soul 
bondage yourselves, you tear not down the bridge after 
you, by leaving no small pity for distressed souls that 
may come over you. 

What are all the contentions and wars of this world 
about, but for greater dishes and bowls of porridge ? 
But here all over this colony a great number of weak and 
distressed souls, scattered, are flying hither; the Most 
High and only Wise hath provided this country and 
this corner as a shelter for the poor and persecuted, 
according to their several persuasions. And as to 
myself, in endeavoring after your temporal and spiritual 
peace, I humbly desire to say, if I perish, I perish. It 
is but a shadow vanished, a bubble broke, a dream fin- 
ished. Eternity will pay for all. 

Roger Williams. 



A%H, could I worship aught beneath the skies 
That earth hath seen or fancy can devise, 
Thine altar, sacred liberty ! should stand, 
Built by no mercenary, vulgar hand 
With fragrant turf, and flowers as wild and fair 
As ever dressed a bank, or scented summer air. 

183 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXII. 4)ut @Uf0 Out (gtitgefc. 



Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with 
them, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. 
Woe unto the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the 
reward of his hands shall be given him. — Isaiah Hi, 

IOy II. 



T^HE only things in which we can be said to have any 
property are our actions. Our thoughts may be 
bad, yet produce no poison ; they may be good, yet pro- 
duce no fruit. Our riches may be taken from us by 
misfortune, our reputation by malice, our spirits by 
calamity, our health by disease, our friends by death. 
But our actions must follow us beyond the grave ; with 
respect to them alone we cannot say that we shall carry 
with us nothing when we die, neither that we shall go 
naked out of the world. Our actions must clothe us 
with an immortality loathsome or glorious; these are 
the only title-deeds of which we cannot be disinherited ; 
they will have their full weight in the balance of eter- 
nity, when everything else is as nothing. Colton. 

Act well at the moment, and you have performed a 
good action to all eternity. Lavater. 

fiLo when time's veil shall fall asunder, 

^^ The soul may know 

No fearful change nor sudden wonder, 

Nor sink the weight of mystery under, 

But with the upward rise, and with the vastness grow. 

184 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIII. £{6erfg anb &#. 



O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead 
me, let them bring me unto Thy holy hill and to Thy 
tabernacle. Then will I go unto the altar of God, 
unto God, my exceeding joy. . . . — Psalm xliii. 



£ERTAIN past ages are called Ages of Faith, in 
contradistinction to our own to which that title is 
denied. Justly ? I more than doubt it. For one thing, 
our age believes in Liberty and Light ; year after year 
the efforts increase to spread their blessings, to eman- 
cipate and enlighten the minds even of the humblest 
classes. And the consequence is that Ideas begin to 
rise above material power. They scorn armed hosts; 
they break through frowning fortresses, and they will, 
at last, silence the roar of the battlefield. The time 
when theorists are contemptuously pushed aside, are 
ridiculed as impracticable dreamers, is passing away; 
because the world has found out that their dreams have 
come true, and are now commonplace realities. Lib- 
erty and Light are the watchwords of those who believe 
in the redemption of mankind in this world. May they 
ever inspire and guide us. 



G. G. 



T^HE light pours down from heaven 
V/' And enters where it may; 
The eyes of all earth's children 

Are cheered with one bright day. 
So let the mind's true sunshine 

Be spread o'er earth as free, 
And fill men's waiting spirit 

As the waters fill the sea. 

185 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIV. (gefief in $km. 



The Lord is good to all ; and His tender mercies 
are over all His works. — Psalm cxlv. g. 



fiti CONSCIENTIOUS person would rather doubt his 
^-" own judgment than condemn his species. He 
would say: "I have observed without attention, or 
judged upon erroneous maxims; I trusted to profession 
when I ought to have attended to conduct. ,, Such a 
man will grow wise, not malignant, by his acquaintance 
with the world. But he that accuses all mankind of 
corruption, ought to remember that he is sure to con- 
vict only one. In truth, I should much rather admit 
those, whom, at any time, I have disrelished the most, 
to be patterns of perfection, than seek a consolation to 
my own unworthiness in a general communion of 
depravity with all about me. Burke. 

I never knew one who made it his business to lash 
the faults of other writers that was not guilty of greater 
ones. Addison. 



& 



OOD nature and good sense must ever join ; 
To err is human, to forgive divine. 



7j HE blessing of a lowly mind, 
^^ Lord, unto me be given, 
Joy in the humblest spot to find, 
To see in all of human kind 
But fellow-travelers, designed 
To rest at last in heaven. 



[86 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXV. £0e @trc0ifect of Circumefancee. 



And the Lord God took Adam and put him into 
the Garden of Eden to work at it and to keep it. — 
Genesis ii. /j*. 

And Jacob said to Laban . . . These twenty 
years have I worked for thee ; in the day the drought 
consumed me and the frost by night, and the sleep 
departed from mine eyes. — Genesis xxxi. jS-40. 



^INSTEAD of saying: Man is the creature of circum- 
^ stances, it would be nearer the mark to say: That 
man is the architect of circumstance. Our strength is 
measured by our plastic power. From the same materi- 
als one man builds palaces, another hovels; one ware- 
houses, another villas ; bricks and mortar are bricks and 
mortar until the architect can make them something 
else. Thus it is that in the same family, in the same 
circumstances, one man rears a stately edifice, while his 
brother, vacillating and incompetent, lives forever 
amidst ruins. The block of marble which was an ob- 
stacle in the path of the weak becomes a stepping-stone 
in the pathway of the strong. Thomas Carlyle. 

As a man thinks or desires in his heart, such, indeed, 
he is; for then, most truly, because most uncontrolably, 
he acts himself. South. 

f^ET us then be up und doing 
^^ With a heart for every fate ; 
Still achieving, still pursuing, 
Learn to labor and to wait. 

187 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXVI. $ n % umgfe $tf$. 



Lord, my heart is not haughty nor mine eye lofty, 
neither do I exercise myself in matters too high for 
me. — Psalm cxxxi, i. 



CZT)0 I, then, say : Judaism is the perfect religion ? I 
confess my inability to understand how any relig- 
ionist who has looked about him with an unprejudiced 
mind, can lay "the flattering unction to his soul" that 
his is the only true, or the best religion in the world. 
What do we know of other faiths, beyond the merest 
outside, and in many cases hardly that much ? By what 
process can we probe the soul of a Buddhist, when he, 
weary with this life's aimless struggles, cries out for 
Nirvana ? or the heart of a Mohammedan, when he 
makes his seven circuits around the Caaba ? How can 
a Jew fathom the awe with which a Christian looks up 
into the pale face of his thorn-crowned Redeemer, to 
whom he owes all the relief he has from an everlasting 
death that is worse than the most miserable of earthly 
lives ? On the other hand, how can a Christian feel 
what passes in the soul of a Jew whenever he hears or 
repeats the old battle-cry of his creed: Hear, O Israel ? 
Has he ever heard it fall from a parent's dying lips ? 
Does he even know of the thousands that rushed into 
the flames hurling their defiance by the same word into 
the faces of their murderers ? The most that we can 
justly say is: My religion pleases, satisfies me best; and 



188 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the least that others can ask of us is : Prove by conduct 
what thy faith can do for the best of mankind. 

G. G. 

jf\E that is down need fear no fall ; 
r~J He that is low, no pride ; 
He that is humble ever shall 
Have God to be his guide. 

XXVII. Jfatreb tyz ©eofroger. 

Hatred stirreth up strifes ; but love covereth all 
sins. — Prov. x. 12. 

Envy, Lust, Hatred — these three are forerunners of 
death. . . . — The Pharisees. 



^T is forbidden to an Israelite to bear hatred towards 
*J his neighbor. Because of the hatred of his breth- 
ren for Joseph, our forefathers were exiled in Egypt, 
where finally they became enslaved. And so our 
Rabbis taught: It is written: "Thou shalt uot hate thy 
brother;" meaning also, thou shalt not injure him, 
thou shalt not revile him, thou shalt not ill-use him. 
All these things the Law demands. Nay, more. It is 
added "in thy heart;" whence follows that we may 
not carry hatred concealed within our bosom, even 
when it results in no external act. In respect to pun- 
ishment, the sin of hatred stands on the same level with 
the three chief sins, idolatry, immorality, and the shed- 
ding of blood. Because of these sins the first Temple 
was destroyed. But why was the second Temple 

189 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

destroyed ? We know quite certainly that at that time 
the Holy Law was observed and works of piety were 
done. But a boundless hatred raged between the vari- 
ous parties, even against those that were quite spotless 
both in morality and in the Law. Only those that 
openly break the laws may one hate ; that is to say, one 
may endeavor to procure their punishment according to 
the Law, nothing further. But let the accuser always 
remember the earnest warning of our teachers: Three 
men are hateful unto the Lord. i. He that speaks 
other than he thinks; 2. He that is able to bear witness 
in favor of another, and fails to do so ; 3. He that appears 
as a single witness and accuser of a fellow-man (since the 
law has laid down the rule that only two witnesses may 
do so). Rabbi Achai, 

{VIII. Century). 

AEARCH thine own heart. What paineth thee ? 
^^ In others, in thyself may be ; 
All dust is frail, all flesh is weak ; 
Be thou the true man thou dost seek. 

¥ 

XXVIII. <E$af (gi$ttomnm Jnciube*. 

The mouth of the righteous man is a well of life.— 
Proverbs x. n. 

The labor of the righteous tendeth to life. . . . 
— Proverbs x. 16. 



<g 



UT true justice includes love. Certainly the Jew- 
ish principle of righteousness does. Does love 



190 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

prompt you to rescue your fellow-man from danger and 
distress ? Justice does more. It holds you responsible 
for the sin and suffering of your brother. The unfor- 
tunate has a claim upon your help. It is your duty to 
be an eye to the blind and an arm to the helpless. You 
cannot, in spite of all commandments, love your enemy, 
but you are enjoined by the law of justice to aid him 
when he is imperiled. 

Judaism stands for justice, which is the life of the 
nations. Christianity stands for love, which is the con- 
cern only of individuals. And as long as humanity 
has to work out its salvation on the stage of history, 
justice must be the principle of ethics, justice in the 
higher sense, which includes love and tends to holiness. 

K. Kohler. 

Be faithful to thy trust, and disappoint not the man who relieth upon 
thee. O son of society, examine thy heart, call remembrance to thine aid, 
and, if in any of these things thou findest thou hast transgressed, take sorrow 
and shame to thyself, and make speedy reparation to the utmost of thy 
power. 

XXIX. C<xmt (Jto ^tumBftn-j. 

Thou shalt put no stumbling-block before the 
blind. . . . — Leviticus xix. 14. 



r Xt)^ are bound to do all that in us lies to make our 

fellow-man find his true personality, and assist 

him in his endeavors to express it in his life ; in no way 



191 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

must we be the cause of our brother's straying from 
the right to the wrong path by our casting a stumbling- 
block in his way. Neither by our speech nor by our 
conduct towards him must we stagger his faith in the 
eternal validity of Right and Truth. The more con- 
spicuous our place in society, and the more weighty 
our words and actions, the more must we be on our 
guard as to their effects on our surroundings. To 
scandalize a fellow-man without necessity is an indirect 
attack upon his spiritual life, just as slavery, contempt 
and flattery are direct ones. We, therefore, must 
never treat the faith and convictions of a fellow-man in 
a manner justly offensive to him, much less deride 
them. By such treatment we never shall improve any- 
one; by mere mockery we shall never convince him of 
his errors, never lead him to the truth ; if it does not 
make him cling the more stubbornly to his errors, he 
may, at last, become a confirmed skeptic, and answer 
back our ridicule of what was once holy to him with an 
open contempt of all else that claims our reverence as 

" holy unto the Lord." _ TT 

J Samuel Hirsch. 

AA THOU who over moving worlds presides, 
^■^ Whose voice created and whose wisdom guides, 
O'er darkling man in pure effulgence shine 
And cheer the clouded mind with light divine. 

'Tis thine alone to calm the pious breast 

With silent confidence and holy rest ; 

From Thee, great God, we spring, to Thee we tend, 

Path, motive, guide, original and end. 

192 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXX. <from ffie Crabfe to $e <B»rat*. 



O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth ; and 
hitherto have I declared Thy wondrous works ; Now 
also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake 
me not, until I have showed Thy strength unto this 
generation and Thy power to everyone that is come. 
— Psalm I Hi. if, 18, 



7/ HOU, who dost dwell alone — 
^^ Thou, who dost know thine own — 
Thou to whom all are known 
From the cradle to the grave, — 
Save, oh, save ! 

From the ingrained fashion 
Of this earthly nature 
That mars Thy creature ; 
From grief that is but passion ; 
From mirth that is but feigning ; 
From tears that bring no healing; 
From wild and weak complaining; 
Thine old strength revealing, 
Save, oh, save ! 

O let the false dream fly 
Where our sick souls do lie 
Tossing continually. 
O where thy voice doth come 
Let all doubts be dumb : 
Let all words be mild : 
All strifes be reconciled : 
All pains beguiled. 
Light bring no blindness ; 
Love no unkindness ; 
Knowledge no ruin ; 
Fear no undoing. 
From the cradle to the grave 
Save, oh, save ! 

Matthew Arnold. 



J 93 



£0e 3nner £ife. 



Before all things guard thy heart ; for out of it are 
the issues of life. — Proverbs iv. 23. 

Whether it is given to a man to do much or to do 
ltttle — so that his heart be to God- ward, he is accepted. 
— The Pharisees. 

Try to reach thine own heart which is the greater 
pilgrimage ; a heart which is single is preferable to a 
thousand Caabas. — Muhammadan. 



«9S 



I. fautitB of ffle geart. 



Now set your heart and your soul to seek the 
Lord your God. . . . — /. Chronicles xxii. ig. 

I delight to do Thy will, O God, yea, Thy Law is 
within my heart. — Psalm xl. 8. 



(T^S is well known to all, our duties towards God are 
^ of two kinds : those which we perform with our 
body and are visible, and those which appertain to the 
heart and are invisible. I have inquired diligently 
to know what is their mutual relation, and to that 
end consulted the three sources of our faith, viz: 
Reason, Revelation, and Tradition, and I have found all 
three to agree in the conclusion that the duties of the 
heart are the foundation of those of the body, so that 
the latter lose all religious meaning if the heart and the 
mind of the doer have no part in them. Prayer, Fast- 
ing, Almsgiving, Study of the Law, Tabernacles, M'sus- 
ah, in fact, the whole body of Rituals and Ceremonials 
is vain, if not done with the whole being of the observer, 
that is to say, with the body and the soul; for without 
the inward desire to approach to God and become 
united with Him, the Rituals differ in nothing from our 
ordinary actions. In view of this conclusion, I resolved 
to compose these treatises, in which I shall show: How 

197 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

our thoughts should conform to our doctrine of the Unity 
of God; how to trace the goodness of His Providence; 
how to fulfill the duty of His service, how to prove 
our trust in Him; how to make the glory of His name 
the chief motive of our actions; how to keep our souls 
humble and meek before Him; how to repent for our 
sins so as to find forgiveness from Him ; how to prac- 
tice continual self-examination; how to find the true 
limits of our separation from the world; and how to 
reach the highest of all duties — Love of God with all 
our heart, and all our soul, and all our might. — From 
the Preface to the work : On the Duties of the Heart \ by 
Bee hay ben Joseph iVn Pakuda. XI L Century. 



II. Ca0%4fton0 — % (^XedttB Onfg. 



But Elisha went a day's journey into the wilderness 
and came and sat down under a juniper tree ; and he 
prayed for himself that he might die, and said : It is 
enough ! Now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am 
not better than my fathers. — /. Kings xix. 4. 



3T is true that many pious men in ages gone by have 
broken the universal rule, to select the just mean in 
all the actions of life ; at times they went to extremes. 
Thus they fasted often, watched through the nights, 

198 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

abstained from flesh and wine, wore sackcloth, lived 
among the rocks, and wandered in the deserts. They 
did this, however, only when they considered it neces- 
sary to restore their disturbed moral equipoise, or 
to avoid, in the midst of men, temptations which, at 
times, were too strong for them. These abnegations 
were for them means to an end; and they forsook 
them as soon as that end was attained. Thoughtless 
men, however, regarded castigations as holy in them- 
selves, and imitated them without thinking of the in- 
tentions of their examples. They thought thereby to 
reach perfection and to approach to God. The fools! 
as if God hated the body, and took pleasure in its 
destruction. They did not consider how many sick- 
nesses of soul their actions caused. They are to be 
compared to such as take dangerous medicines, because 
they have seen that experienced physicians have saved 
many a one from death with them; so they ruin them- 
selves. This is the meaning of the cry of the Prophet 
Jeremiah: "Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging 
place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my people 
and go from them." 



Moses Maimonides, 



^ITaTH my heart been wavering long ? 
f*^S Have I dallied oft with wrong ? 

Now, at last, I firmly say : 
All my will to Thee I give, 
Only to my God to live, 

And to serve Him night and day. 

■99 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

HI. tfa (ttnfaiftns (gmrb. 



In all labor there is profit ; but the mere talk of 
the lips tendeth to penury. — Proverbs xiv % 23. 

The path of the just is as the shining light, that 
shineth more and more unto the perfect day. — Prov- 
erbs iv. 18. 



QtiTLL, labor in the pursuit of that which is perfectly 
^-* good, even if it fail to reach the goal, is sufficient 
of itself to benefit the laborer. The impulses towards 
excellence, though they fail to attain their end, give 
joy to those who have them. 

But the disciples of the true Word must be true men, 
lovers of temperance and order and reverence, who 
have laid the foundations of their lives in self-restraint 
and endurance and contentment, as the safe harborage 
of their souls where they can lie at anchor without risk 
or harm. 



PHILO JUDiEUS. 



yjJ^OD of the earnest heart, 
^■^ The trust assured and still, 
Thou who our strength for ever art, 

We come to do Thy will, 
'Gainst doubt and shame and fear 

In human hearts to strive, 
That all may learn to love and bear, 

To conquer self and live. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

IV. gge (Kingdom of (ttlan is Weftn. 

What profit hath a man of all his labors which he 
taketh under the sun ? . . . All things are full of 
wearisome labor ; man cannot utter it ; the eye is not 
satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing, 
... I have seen all the works that are done under 
the sun ; and behold, all is vanity and vexation of 
spirit . . . yet I saw that wisdom excelleth folly as 
far as light excelleth darkness. — Ecclesiastes i. j>, 8% 

CY\ET another mistake thrives under the otherwise 
(^ wholesome demand for a religion of life and truth. 
It is this, that man is mostly, if not altogether, treated, 
in his outward relation to society, as a wheel in a ma- 
chine; the whole purpose of his existence is: to help the 
machine do its work; in himself he is nothing, less and 
worse than nothing, since he is a nothing that suffers so 
many pangs and shocks, and sheds such bitter tears — a 
nothing, yet bold enough to think that it ought to be 
something, and not to be crushed before the moth, or 
shrivelled up into a grain of dust like a midge. There 
was something in the idea worth suffering for, that 
man is crowned with glory and honor, formed in the 
image of God, however faint and dim the outline, and 
that he is worth a thought and a care of that God. 
But his crown is now cast in the dust. His soul is 
no better than the falling leaf. The Universe, so 
vast, has yet no room for his soul. Why shall he care 
for it ? Why keep it pure ? Why cultivate its facul- 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ties ? Why tame its passion and listen to the music 
of reason or the thunder of conscience ? This is not 
life, but living death. 

The accident of an accident need be no wiser than 
its origin, certainly no better than the heartless cruelty 
that flung him upon earth a helpless creature. The 
highest life of man is within, and this is exactly the 
thing about which the wisdom of to-day is dumb. 

G. G. 

Oj/ND is this all that man can claim? 
VLT Is this our longing's final aim? 
To be like all things round, no more 
Than pebbles cast on time's gray shore ? 

Not this our doom, Thou God benign ! 
Whose rays on us unclouded shine ; 
Thy breath sustains yon fiery dome ; 
But man is most Thy favored home. 

V. (ReBtgndfion— £0e (Breafesf (pot»er 

of t$e ®Mnb. 

And David said, Behold, here I am; let the 
Lord do unto me as seemeth good unto Him. — 
II. Samuel xv. 26. 



Tj^HE mind never puts forth greater power over itself 
than when, in great trials, it yields up calmly its 
desires, affections, interests to God. There are seasons 
when to be still demands immeasurably higher strength 
than to act. Composure is often the highest result of 
power. Think you it demands no power to calm the 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

stormy elements of passion, to moderate the vehemence 
of desire, to throw off the load of dejection, to suppress 
every repining thought, when the dearest hopes are 
withered, and to turn the wounded spirit from danger- 
ous reveries and wasting grief, to the quiet discharge 
of ordinary duties ? Is there no power to put forth 
when a man, stripped of his property, of the fruits of 
a life's labors, quells discontent and gloomy forebod- 
ings and serenely and patiently returns to the tasks 
which Providence assigns ? 

Wm. E. Channing. 

fJ,ORD, I would fain be still 
^* And quiet behind my shield ; 
But make me to love Thy will, 
For fear I should ever yield. 

Nothing but perfect trust, 

And love of Thy perfect will, 
Can raise me out of the dust, 

And bid my fears be still. 

VI. <W*itm$ for tfc £orb. 

Delight thyself in the Lord and He shall give 
thee the desires of thy heart . . . Hold still to 
the Lord and wait patiently for Him ; fret not thyself 
because of him who prospereth in His way, because 
of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. — 
Psalm xxxvii. 4, j, 7. 



*tT is my fervent hope that these words of mine may 
*J touch a heart here and there weighted with anxie- 
ties or filled even with lawful desires for some temporal 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

good. Let them, if possible, get a higher craving still 
for God and His love, and for more perfect obedience 
to His blessed will; let them try to submit and to re- 
sign their most ardent wishes so only that God may do 
with them just what He likes, and that they may freely 
place themselves to be dealt with even unto sacrifice in 
the way which seemeth to Him good; and we may 
safely assure them that they will taste of a happiness 
which they never knew before, and their burdens will 
fall off them and their hearts be lightened and their 
faces shall not be ashamed; for in His presence there is 
fullness of joy and at His right hand there are pleasures 
which never fade, even on this poor earth below. 

Charles Voysey. 

'7^'HOU Power supreme ! whose mighty scheme 
^^ These woes of mine fulfill, 
Here firm I rest ; they must be best, 

Because they are Thy will ! 
Then all I want (O do Thou grant 

This one request of mine !) 
Since to enjoy Thou didst deny, 

Assist me to resign. 

¥ 

VII. Z§t QSfeeeebneBB of (pxtytx. 

Now, O Lord, what wait I for ? my hope is in 
Thee. I am silent, I open not my mouth, for Thou 
didst it. — Psalm xxxix, 7, 9. 



TfHAT prayer which does not succeed in moderating 

our wish, in changing the passionate desire into 

still submission, the anxious, tumultuous expectation 

204 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

into silent surrender, is not true prayer, and proves 
that we have not the spirit of prayer. That life is most 
holy in which there is least of petition and desire, and 
most of waiting upon God ; that in which petition most 
often passes into thanksgiving. Pray till prayer makes 
you forget your own wish, and leave it or merge it into 
God's will. The Divine Wisdom has given us prayer, 
not as a means whereby to obtain the good things of 
earth, but as a means whereby we learn to do without 
them; not as a means whereby we escape evil, but as a 
means whereby we become strong to meet it. 

F. W. Robertson. 

rt,ET then, from all my grief, O Lord, 
J~* Thy mercy set me free, 
Whilst in the confidence of prayer 
My soul took hold on Thee. 

Give me, O Father, to Thy throne access, 
Unshaken seat of endless happiness ; 
Give me, unveiled, the source of good to see, 
Give me Thy light, and fix my eyes on Thee. 



VIII. 



€§t (powt of (pttytv. 



Yet the Lord will command His loving kindness 
in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be 
with me and my prayer unto the God of my life. — 
Psalm xlii. S. 



7^HE desire for prayer is as old as the first dawn of 
intelligence in man; it is found with the savage, 



205 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

prostrated before a tree, a stone, or an image, as well 
as with the saint in his ecstatic communion with the 
Infinite. It is the first uplifting of the child's heart at 
the entrance of life, and the last thought of the dying at 
the portal of the grave. When we have accustomed 
ourselves to begin every day with a devout thought of 
God — no matter in what form we do it — do we not feel 
its influence during the day ? Can the young man 
become a prey to his passions, who is held to his 
moorings by the anchor of his daily prayer ? Test it in 
an assembly; what other power will so speedily and so 
surely subdue all hearts as that of an earnest invocation 
to God, uttered by one whose piety entitles him to the 
high prerogative of mediator between earth and heaven. 

Make thine own heart thy palace, 
Lest the world become thy dungeon, 

warns an Eastern sage, and there is nothing more 
helpful to this end than true soul-prayer, and the 
worshipful thought of the living God. 



s 



G. G. 



IRST worship God : he that forgets to pray, 
Bids not himself Good-morrow, nor Good-day. 



IX. (ftrager — (&n (Experience. 



I poured out my complaint before God ; I showed 
before Him my trouble ... I said: Thou art my 
refuge, my portion in the land of the living. — Psalm 
cxlii, 2, J. 

206 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

7^"HE truth of Prayer is an intuition, and its verifica- 
tion universal experience; and it is on truths 

this nature that the deepest and holiest life of the soul 
rests. Two young people meet, and (as we suggestively 
say) fall in love with each other; can they give any 
reason for their love? for their belief that they were 
created for each other, and, unless made One, their 
hearts would break ? Friendships can never be manu- 
factured. A person may lavish no end of kindness 
on us, without gaining a touch of personal attach- 
ment, whilst another, taking no trouble to win it, 
receives it as a free gift from us. It is a bad sign for 
children to begin questioning, on what ground, and to 
what extent, they are bound to conform to the wishes 
of their parents. True love, which is a mystery of the 
soul, shrinks from such a discussion. Conscience is 
simply consciousness of duty, and right, and honor. 
Who will define it ? Yet men deeply affected by that 
sense, rather than forfeit it cast their lives away. Why 
not let prayer rest on the same foundation, and, with- 
out too curious questionings, accept the blessedness it 
is able to bestow ? 

G. G. 

/ 7jO the path of life to win us, 

^^ Thou, O God, didst plant within us 

Aspirations high and bright ; 
Bring us to Thy presence nearer, 
Let us see Thy glories clearer, 

Till all mists shall melt in light. 

207 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



x - 3f not (geftsion, <Wfat ? 



Whom have I in heaven but Thee, O God ? and 
there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee- 
Though my flesh and my heart faileth, yet God is 
the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. — 

Psalm Ixxiii. 25, 26. 



HftjHEN the thought of God fades from heart and 
mind, what other thought shall take its place ? 
or shall it remain a blank; and shall we, so impoverished, 
face the problems and meet the challenges of life ? 
When the purifying and consoling influence of worship 
ceases, what other shall come in its stead ? When the 
inspiring memories of a heroic history are no longer 
awakened in the Jewish heart — what other impulse 
shall save the young nature from the bane of selfish- 
ness ? Let parents ponder well these questions before 
they venture to send their children out into a world 
where the strength and courage of the bravest are 
often tried to the utmost, send them out unprovided 
with those resources, which, by the testimony of all 
ages and all nations, are only found in the religious 
ideals of the soul. 

G. G. 

3N God, the holy, wise and just, 
From childhood's tender years, 
Have I reposed with perfect trust 
My changing hopes and fears. 



208 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



And should my term of life exceed 
Frail man's allotted days, 

Until the last my prayer would plead 
For strength my God to praise. 



XI. £0e QUornina; <xnb <£t>enin<j §bt<xtB of fetfe. 



Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and 
the evening to rejoice. — Psalm Ixv. 8. 

To declare Thy mercy in the morning and Thy 
faithfulness in the night-times. — Psalm xcii. 2. 



CO ELIGION, whether natural or revealed, has always 
^ the most beneficial influence on the mind. In 
youth, in health, in prosperity, it awakens feelings of 
gratitude and sublime love, and purifies at the same 
time that which it exalts; but it is in misfortune, in 
sickness, in age, that its effects are most truly and 
beneficially felt. When submission in faith, and humble 
trust in the Divine will, from duties become pleasures, 
and unfailing sources of consolation, then it creates 
powers which were believed to be extinct, and gives a 
freshness to the mind which was supposed to have 
passed away for ever, but which is now renovated as an 
immortal hope. Its influence outlives all earthly enjoy- 
ments, and becomes stronger as the organs decay and 
the frame dissolves; it appears as the evening star of 
light, in the horizon of life, which we are sure is to 
become, in another season, a morning star, and it 
throws its radiance through the gloom and shadow of 
death. Humphrey Davy. 

209 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

3N ardent adoration joined, 
Obedient to Thy holy will, 
Let all our faculties combined 

Thy just desires, O God, fulfill, 
From Thee derived, eternal King, 
To Thee our noblest powers bring ; 
O may Thy hand direct our wandering way ! 
O bid Thy light arise, and chase the clouds away ! 

XII. ©emotion— $ £itnns ^cmt of f#e fatf. 

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore 
will I hope in Him. The Lord is good to them that 
wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him. It is 
good that a man should both hope and quietly wait 
for the help of the Lord. — Lamentations iii. 24-26. 

Would to God man remembered his prayers all 
day from morning to night. — The Pharisees. 



/^iTE not afraid to pray — to pray is right. 

v^ Pray, if thou canst, with hope, but ever pray, 

Though hope be weak, or sick with long delay ; 

Pray in the darkness, if there be no light. 

Far is the time, remote from human sight, 

When war and discord on the earth shall cease ; 

Yet every prayer for universal peace 

Avails the blessed time to expedite. 

Whate'er is good to wish, ask that of Heaven, 

Though it be what thou canst not hope to see : 

Pray to be perfect, though material leaven 

Forbid the spirit so on earth to be ; 

But if for any wish thou darest not pray, 

Then pray to God to cast that wish away. 



Hartley Coleridge. 
210 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XIII. 3ft (Bob's £)txm £hne. 

At the commandment of the Lord the children of 
Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the 
Lord they pitched : as long as the cloud abode upon 
the tabernacle they rested in their tents — A T umbers 
ix. 18. 

T^HERE is no time lost while we are waiting God's 
time. It is as acceptable a piece of submission to 
the will of God to sit still contentedly when our lot 
requires it, as to work for Him when we are called to 
it. When the cloud was taken up, they removed, how 
comfortably soever they were encamped. The people 
being thus kept at a constant uncertainty, and having 
no time fixed for their stays and their removes, were 
obliged to hold themselves in constant readiness to 
march at a moment's warning. For the same reason 
we are kept uncertain as to the time of " putting off our 
earthly tabernacle," that we may be always ready to 
remove. As long and as far as the cloud moved, so 
long and so far they marched; and where it abode, they 
pitched their tents about it, and God's tent under it. 

M. Henry. 

A'VOT so in haste, my heart, 
\5 Have faith in God and wait ; 
Although He linger long, 
He never comes too late. 

He never comes too late ; 

He knoweth what is best ; 
Vex not thyself in vain 

Until He cometh, rest, 

SZl 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



Until He cometh, rest ; 

Nor grudge the hours that roll ; 
The feet that wait for God 

Are soonest at the goal. 

Are soonest at the goal 

That is not gained by speed ; 
Then hold thee still, my heart, 

For I shall wait His lead. 



XIV. ^MUBB to <&0b. 



And He said : my presence shall go with thee, and 
I will give thee rest. — Exodus xxxiii. 14. 



nj%E still and calm in thy own mind and spirit from 
^^ thy own thoughts, and then thou wilt feel the 
principle of God, to turn thy mind to the Lord God, 
from whom life comes, whereby thou mayest receive 
His strength and power to allay all blustering storms 
and tempests. That is it which works up into patience, 
into innocency, into soberness, into stillness, into stayed- 
ness, into quietness, up to God with His power. . . . 
Therefore be still awhile from thy own thoughts, 
searching, seeking, desires, and imaginations and be 
stayed in the principle of God in thee, that it may raise 
thy mind up to God, and stay it upon God ; and thou 
wilt find strength from Him, and find Him to be a God 
at hand, a present help in time of trouble and need. 

George Fox. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

A%H, let my trembling soul be still, 

^•^ While darkness veils this mortal eye, 

And wait Thy wise and holy will, 

Though wrapt in fears and mystery ! 
1 cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see, 
Yet all is well since ruled by Thee. 

XV. <J5ob Quids (ttte 3n fyim&ttf. 

Yor in the time of trouble, He will hide me in His 
pavilion, in the secret of His tabernacle He will 
cover me. . . — Psalm xxvii. j. 



*t HAVE seemed to see a need of everything God gives 
^ me, and want nothing that He denies me. There 
is no dispensation, though afflictive, but either in it or 
after it I find I could not be without it. Whether it 
be taken from or not given me, sooner or later God 
quiets me in Himself without it. I cast all my concerns 
on the Lord, and live securely on the care and wisdom 
of my Heavenly Father. My ways are, in a sense, 
hedged up with thorns, and grow darker and darker 
daily; but yet I distrust not my good God in the least, 
and live more quietly in the absence of all, by faith, 
than I should do if I possessed them. Anon. 

fiLO, trusting in Thy love, I tread 

^^ The narrow path of duty on. 

What though some cherished joys are fled; 

What though some flattering dreams are gone ; 
Yet purer nobler joys remain, 
And peace is won through conquered pain. 

213 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XVI - Jfog in t$t l&mpvmnt 



Thou wilt show me the path of life ; in Thy pres- 
ence is fullness of joy, at Thy right hand there are 
pleasures for evermore. — Psalm xvi. II. 



Tf^HERE is a virtue that may find employment for 
those retired hours in which we are left altogether 
to ourselves and destitute of company and conversation. 
I mean that intercourse and communication which 
every reasonable creature ought to maintain with the 
great author of its being. The man who lives under an 
habitual sense of the Divine presence keeps up a per- 
petual cheerfulness of temper, and enjoys every moment 
the satisfaction of thinking himself in company with 
his dearest and best of friends. The time never lies 
heavy on him ; it is impossible for him to be alone. He 
no sooner steps out of the world, but his heart burns 
with devotion, swells with hope, and triumphs in the 
consciousness of that presence which everywhere sur- 
rounds him; or, on the contrary, pours out its fears, 
its sorrows, its apprehensions to the great supporter of 
its existence. Addison. 

3F 'mid the gathering storms of doubt 
Our hearts grow faint and cold, 
The strength we cannot live without 
Thy love will not withhold. 

Our prayers accept ; our sins forgive ; 
Our youthful zeal renew ; 
Shape for us holier lives to live, 
And nobler work to do. 

214 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XVII. £0 e <BoMg borrow. 



I gommune with mine own heart, and my spirit 
made diligent search. . . . And I said, this is mine 
infirmity. — Psalm Ixxvii. 6, 10. 

If My people which are called by My name, shall 
humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face and 
turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from 
heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will neal their 
land. — 77. Chronicles vii. 14. 



TJ^HE completion and sum of repentance is a change 
of life. That sorrow which dictates no caution, 
that fear which does not quicken our escape, that 
austerity which fails to rectify our affections, are vain 
and unavailing. But sorrow and terror must naturally 
precede reformation, for what other cause can produce 
it? He, therefore, that feels himself alarmed by his 
conscience, anxious for the attainment of a better state, 
and afflicted by the memory of his past faults, may 
justly conclude that the great work of repentance is 
begun; he may hope, by retirement and prayer, the 
natural and religious means of strengthening his con- 
victions, to impress upon his mind such a sense of the 
Divine presence as may overpower the blandishments 
of secular delights, and enable him to advance from 
one degree of holiness to another, till death shall set 
him free from doubt and contest, misery and tempta- 
tion. 



315 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/j%BSERVE a pious fear, be whole again, 
^■^ Hasten to purge thy heart of every stain ; 
No more from prayer and penitence refrain, 
But turn unto Thy God by day and night. 

He speaks : My child, yea, I will send thee aid; 
Bend thou thy steps to Me ; be not afraid ! 
No nearer friend than I am hast thou made ; 

Patiently wait the day to which there is no night. 



xviil. Zfc $c$ooftns of fetfe. 



What man is he that feareth the Lord? Him 
shall He teach the way he shall choose. — Psalm 
xxv. 12. 

Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I 
keep Thy commandments. — Psalm cxix. 67. 



'YtoE should not be overcome by the evil day, nor 
enslaved by the happy one; but should make 
both subservient to the higher purpose of our being — 
this is the great lesson which life should teach us. Life 
is a school in which we are exercised to deserve and use 
wisely our good fortune, and to bear misfortune and 
trial with fortitude and resignation, and thus to gather 
from both the precious fruit of our spiritual and moral 
freedom. Self- controlled in prosperity, self-possessed 
in adversity — in this lies the moral value of all ou'r 
vicissitudes. And He is our Educator, and He submits 
us to His discipline, in whose hand rests the whole 
earth, and who so ordaineth all things for us that we 

3 16 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

may be practised in the use of our freedom. Man can 
by the use of that acquirement rule over nature; he 
can resist the allurements of bodily gratifications, and, 
whenever we succeed in this, we advance our lasting 
welfare. We then develop more and more the image 
of God within us. We approach His own freedom. 
We are no longer His creatures only, but are changed 
into His children. And we learn to worship Him not 
only as our Creator, but our Father, our Educator and 
Teacher for the coming of a more perfect life than the 
present. Samuel Hirsch. 

pf\ASSIONS proud and fierce have ruled me, 
vF* Fancies light and vain have fooled me, 
But Thy training stern hath schooled me ; 

Now, Lord, 
Take me for Thy child, O Lord ! 
Shine in my heart, and bring me joy and light, 
Sun of my soul when dark, dispel its night 

And shed in it the truthful day abroad, 
And all the many gloomy folds lay bare 
Within this heart, that fain would lean?, to bear 

The pure and glorious likeness of its Lord. 

XIX. £0e (punishment of finger. 

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their 
wrath for it was cruel. — Genesis xlix. y. 



T^HE dying patriarch's reproof is regarded by the Rab- 
bis as a general condemnation of anger; and they 
maintain that when a wise man gives way to it, his wis- 

217 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

dom forthwith leaves him, and when a prophet succumbs 
to it, his prophetic gift departs from him. For even a 
Moses, overpowered by anger, broke the tables of the 
Covenant that he had received from God, and an Elisha 
had to be soothed with the music of the harp before 
he could prophesy. By anger the great are degraded, 
and it may cause the pious to manifest contempt for 
the Deity. And with the same deep earnestness as the 
patriarch showed a Teacher says: " He that gives way to 
anger is governed by hell and all its terrors." Kohe- 
leth says: " Anger rests in the bosom of fools; " and the 
poet of Job proclaims: " Anger causes the death of 
fools." Sirach teaches: "A furious man cannot be 
justified, for the sway of his fury shall be his destruc- 
tion." 

" To those that err in judgment, not in will, 
We should be gentle in our anger. G. G. 

J^ORD, sure Thy countenance is here, 
*^ Thy spirit all the earth informs ; 
Whatever of my inward sphere 

Remains to tell of angry storms, 
Oh, let it melt away, and leave 
No clouds to darken life's calm eve. 

XX. flfotf (Up t0e $U$tg £i}>0. 

He that hath no rule over his own heart is like a 
city that is broken down and without walls. — Proverbs 
xxv. 28. 

218 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Make no friendship with an angry man, and with 
a furious man thou shalt not go, lest thou learn his 
way and get a snare to thy soul. — Proverbs xxii. 
24* 25. 



^F anger arise in thy breast, instantly seal up thy lips, 
** and let it not go forth: for, like a fire when it 
wants vent, it will suppress itself. It is good in a fever 
to have a tender and smooth tongue; but it is better 
that it be so in anger : for if it be rough and distem- 
pered, there it is an ill sign, but here it is an ill cause. 
Angry passion is like a fire, and angry words are like 
breath to fan them; together they are like steel and 
flint, sending out fire by mutual collision. 

Jeremy Taylor. 

f)T% EFINE and purge our earthly parts, 
\t But O, inflame and fire our hearts, 

Our frailties help, our vice control ; 

Submit the senses to the soul, 
And when rebellious they have grown, 
Then lay Thy hand and hold them down. 

Chase from our minds the tempting foe, 
And peace, the fruit of love, bestow ; 

And lest our feet should step astray, 

Protect and guide us in the way ; 
Make us eternal truths receive, 
And practice all that we believe. 



0x9 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXI. £0e <Bob Motrins. 



And they that love the Lord shall be as the sun 
when he goeth forth in his might. — Judges v. ji. 



T^HIS is the description, says the Talmud, of those 
that suffer insult, and do not return it, and bear 
injuries without venging themselves; also of those that 
follow the law from the love thereof, and whom no 
suffering can make doubt the wisdom and goodness of 
God. For there follows in the text: " And the land 
had peace for forty years." This is a symbol of the in- 
ternal peace that is the portion of the God-fearing man; 
because he restrains the storms of passions within him; 
his moral strength is like the glory of the sun, which no 
earthly changes can affect. 

Similar in spirit is the maxim: Range thyself always 
with the persecuted, never with the persecutor; for 
behold! none among birds are more persecuted than 
the doves, and yet these does the Law demand so 
largely for altar gifts. 

Likewise the Law ordained that the altar should be 
built of unhewn stones. " If thy iron hath touched it, 
then hast thou defiled it." Of iron is forged the sword; 
the deadly weapon brings strife and death and destruc- 
tion to men. But the altar's purpose is to foster peace 
between man and his neighbor, as well as between man 
and his heavenly Father. August Wuensche, 

After the Talmud. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/jf^LAD with Thy light, and glowing with Thy love, 
^*^ So let me ever speak and think, and move, 

As fits a soul new touched with life from heaven, 
That seeks but so to order all her course 
As most to show the glory of that source 

By whom her strength, her hope, her life are given. 

¥ 

XXII. Eotwftneee (Bfewfee. 



The meek will He guide in judgment, the lowly 
will He show His way. — Psalm xxv. g. 

The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and 
the lowly amongst men shall rejoice in the Holy One 
of Israel, — Isaiah xxix. ig. 



fYt INE steps of morality must man have ascended ere 
^ he can reach the tenth, Humility. Then only can 
he shew the highest reverence to God ; then only can 
he receive revelations. When Humility goes hand in 
hand with Mercy and Charity, it is the greatest orna- 
ment of the Israelite. It is a faithful companion by 
his side, that helps him to bear with patience the 
severest trials. 

As long as the Temple stood, he that brought a burnt 
offering received his reward therefor. But he that is 
of the true humble spirit is considered in Holy Writ as 
one who has bought all the prescribed offerings. 

Yea, they that bow down in humility, them will God 
lift up; and they that are proud, them will God humble; 
and he that runs after distinctions shall see them flee 
from him. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Be not as the upper lintel, so high that but few can 
reach it; nor as the side post, against which men injure 
themselves; be rather like the threshold, lying low 
indeed, but firm and secure, even if the whole house 
fall down. 

Hillel's favorite maxim was, " My humility is my 
greatness, and my greatness is my humility. ,, 

Seat thyself lower in the assembly than is thy right, 
and wait until thou art called ; then go up but no higher 
than to thy rightful place. It is better to hear : come 
up, come up ! than : go down, go down ! 

The Pharisees. 

3N the deed that no man knoweth, 
Where no praiseful trumpet bloweth, 
Where he may not reap who soweth, 

There, Lord, 
Let my heart serve Thee, O Lord. 



xxiii. TB0o (pw £em. 

Thou wilt light my candle, the Lord, my God, 
will enlighten my darkness. — Psalm xviii. 28. 

When I consider how my light is spent, 

Ere half my days, in this dark world and wide, 

And that one talent which is death to hide 

Lodged with me useless, though my soul more bent 

To serve therewith my Maker, and present 

My true account, lest He returning chide, — 

" Doth God exact day-labor, light- denied ? " 

I fondly ask ; but patience, to prevent 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

That murmur, soon replies: " God doth not need 
Either man's work or his own gifts; who best 
Bear His mild yoke, they serve Him best ; His state 
Is kingly. Thousands at 1 1 is bidding speed, 
And post o'er land and ocean without rest ; 
They also serve who only stand and w r ait." 

John Milton. 



rt^ERILS, and misfortunes, and want, and pain, and 
xT injury, are more or less the certain lot of every 
man that cometh into the world. It behooveth thee, 
therefore, O child of calamity, early to fortify thy mind 
with courage and patience, that thou mayest support, 
with a becoming resolution, thy allotted portion of 
human evil. As the camel beareth labor, and heat, 
and hunger, and thirst, through deserts of sand, and 
fainteth not, so the fortitude of a man shall sustain 
him through all perils. A noble spirit disdaineth the 
malice of fortune; his soul is not to be cast down by it. 
He hath not suffered his happiness to depend on her 
smiles, and, therefore, with her frowns he shall not be 
dismayed. Under the pressure of misfortunes, his 
calmness alleviates their weight, and his constancy 
shall surmount them. Anonymous. 

tf^EANING on Him, make with reverent meekness, 

His own thy w T ill, 
And with strength from Him shall thy utter weakness 
Life's task fulfill. 

223 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIV. g$e TEorfb'e Censure a (gteane of (Btoce. 



Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our 
sorrows ; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of 
God, and afflicted. . . . He was oppressed and 
He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth. — 
Isaiah liii. ^, 7. 



*fF a man's failings are spoken of, let him give God 
^ thanks for putting this humiliation on him for the 
amendment of his ways, if they need it. But if he is 
surely convinced that they need it not in that wherein 
they blame him, let him after all remember that what- 
soever he be, he is but imperfect compared with what 
is required of him. 

The humble man seeks not revenge for injuring 
treatment, but bears it with unruffled temper. When 
his conscience tells him that he has offended against his 
brother-man, he confesses the wrong. 

Let none of thy failings appear small or 'trifling in 
thine own eyes; repent and atone for all before thy 
light is quenched, before thy soul is required of thee, 
before the book of thy deeds is opened for judgment. 

Eleazar ben Yehudah, 
(X/IL Century), 

Oj^SS AILED by scandal and the tongue of strife, 
V^Lr His only answer was : a blameless life. 

If thou doest make, O righteous God, 
The tongues of men Thy chastening rod, 
I will not chide, but hold Thee still 
And learn to do Thy holy will. 

224 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXV. £0e fining (pot 



Thou, O God, hast proved us, Thou hast tried us, 
as silver is tried. . . . We went through fire and 
through water, but Thou broughtest us out into a 
place of enlargement. — Psalm Ixvi. 10, 12. 



AlNCE X have designated righteousness the root of 
^"" the manifested activity of God in the visible 
world, every question, as to the nature of the soul, is 
best referred back to this source. I maintain that the 
soul, from its very nature, cannot develop any activity 
by itself; and that, therefore, it had necessarily to be 
bound by God to something through the medium of 
which its activity could be expressed, thereby enabling it 
to attain eternal happiness. Thus the practice of pious 
acts increases the light of its being; which, on the con- 
trary, is darkened by sins. The judge of these endeav- 
ors is that Rock of Worlds who knows all our actions. 
Holy Writ compares this trial to the refinement of gold 
and silver in the furnace, bringing to light its purer 
and truer worth. Even as it is said : The fining pot 
is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the Lord 
trieth the hearts (Proverbs xvii. 3). And again: I, the 
Lord, will bring the third part through fire, and will 
refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as 
gold is tried; they shall call on My name, and I will 

225 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

hear them; I will say: it is My people, and they shall 
say, the Lord is my God (Zechariah xiii. 9). 

Saadyah, The Gaon, 

(X. Century). 

f^ORD, search my soul, try every thought, 
J"* Though my own heart accuse me not 
Of walking in a false disguise, 
I beg a trial of thine eyes. 

Does secret mischief lurk within ? 
Do I indulge some secret sin ? 
O, turn my feet, whe'er I stray, 
And lead me in Thy perfect way. 



XXVI. £gun (Bainsforg. 

Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, only to Thy 
name be given glory and honor, for Thy mercy and 
Thy truth's sake. — Psalm cxv. i. 



APEAK never mere empty words; enter into strife 
^ with no man ; place no reliance on men of mock- 
ing lips. Wrangle not with evil men. Cherish no too 
fixed good opinion of thyself, but lend thine ear to 
remonstrance and reproof. Be not weakly pleased at 
demonstrations of honor; strive not anxiously for dis- 
tinction. Never let a thought of envy of the evil-doer 
cross thy mind. ... Make peace whenever thou 
canst among people, and lead them gently into the 
good and peaceful path. If the means of thy support 



226 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

in life be measured out scantily to thee, remember 
the many things thou hast to be thankful for, and that 
suffering is a test of piety and preparation for better 
things to come. But if worldly wealth be lent to thee, 
exalt not thyself above thy poor brother; for both of 
you came naked into the world, and will, at last, sleep 
together in the dust. 

Eleazar ben Yehudah, 

(XIII. Century). 

/^VRAISE not thy work, but let thy work praise thee, 
\Qf* For deeds, not words, make each man's memory stable; 
If what thou dost is good, its good all men will see ; 
Musk by its smell is known, not by its label. 



Thy glory shall my inspiration be, 

For what I am, I am, O God, through Thee. 

And if of man a word of praise I won, 

It was for that which I for Thee have done. 



XXVII. (Unconscious Worshippers of (Bob. 

I am sought of tkem that asked not for me ; I am 
found of them that sought me not. — Isaiah Ixv. i. 



^ONSIDER man, in his varied aspects, man of the 
physical universe, man as an intellectual being, 
man as a moral factor — you must arrive at God. When 
you have scaled this rung on the ladder of metaphysics, 
and descend again back to man, he appears not as the 



227 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

bubble of accident on the ocean of time, not as the pro- 
duction of a momentary whim in being, but as the God- 
willed and God-stationed, God-like to rule the earth, to 
serve the purposes which God has writ across the stars 
and chiselled with his artist hand into the rocks. 

Without this thought there can be no ethies. When 
ethics is truly taught and ethics is preached, whether 
God be named or not, He is. Why should I live for 
others ? Why should I forego my pleasures ? Because 
I am weaker, perhaps. But I may supply my weak- 
ness by cunning. Are right and wrong merely matters 
of results, not matters of beginnings, of " principles ? " 
But thousand and one considerations vitiate the calcu- 
lation of the end. Society may coerce me ? Perhaps I 
am more cunning than all society. Society will punish 
me ? - Ah, there are a thousand and one ways of escap- 
ing punishment. War of one against all, and all 
against one, is this the ultimate ? God is within us ! 
This thought alone gives dignity to man and sweep to 
human love. 

Emil Hirsch. 



3N the peace of hearts at rest, 
In the child at mother's breast, 
In the lives that now surround us, 
In the deaths that sorely wound us : 
Though we may not understand, 
Father, we behold Thy hand. 

223 



SOW AND SHIELD. 

XXVIII. <Wfat ifi (jttoet (precious in (JtUn. 

I will praise Thee ; fori am fearfully and wonder- 
fully made ; marvellous are Thy works, and that my 
soul knoweth right well. — Psalm exxxix. /./. 

T^HE grandeur of man's nature turns all outward dis- 
tinction to insignificance. His power of intellect, 
of conscience, of love, of knowing God, of perceiving 
the beautiful, of acting on his own mind, on outward 
nature and on his fellow-creatures — these are glorious 
prerogatives. Through the vulgar error of undervalu- 
ing what is common, we are apt, indeed, to pass them by 
as of but little worth. But as in the outward creation, 
so in the soul, the common is the most precious. Sci- 
ence and art may invent splendid modes of illuminating 
the apartments of the opulent, but these are all poor 
and worthless compared with the light which the sun 
sends into our windows, which he pours freely, impar- 
tially, over hill and valley, which kindles daily the 
eastern and western sky; and so the common lights of 
reason, and conscience, and love, are of more worth 
and dignity than the rare endowments which give cel- 
ebrity to a few. Channing. 

^lToW far from here to heaven ? 
r~J Not very far, my friend ; 

A single hearty step 

Will all the journey end. 
Hold there ! Where runnest thou ? 

Know heaven is in thee ! 
Seekest thou for elsewhere ? 

His face thou'lt never see. 

229 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XXIX. (ptozptvoM (gttwetetfg. 

Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel : 
As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah 
and in the cities thereof when I shall bring back their 
captivity : The Lord bless thee, O habitation of jus- 
tice and mountain of holiness. . . . For I have 
satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every 
sorrowful soul. — Jeremiah xxxi. 23, 25. 

For one man that can stand prosperity there are a hundred that will 
stand adversity. Carlyle. 

7j^HE poet says: Misery doth bravest mind abate; but 
may not prosperity have the same effect ? Is it so 
rare that an increase of wealth causes a decrease of faith 
in the higher aims of life ? that rising in the social scale 
is accompanied by a sinking into sensualism, and that 
freedom from ordinary cares leads to bondage to the 
fashions of the world ? If God, by visitations, as it 
were, tries to call us back from our erring ways, should 
we murmur at His corrections ? Should we refuse to 
learn the lesson which Shakespeare voiced ; 

His overthrow heaped happiness on him ; 
For then, and not till then, he felt himself 
And found the blessedness of being little. 



G. G. 



AMOUNT each affliction, whether light or grave, 
^^ God's messenger sent down to thee ; do thou 
With courtesy receive him ; rise and bow ; 
And ere his shadow pass thy threshold, crave 
Permission first his heavenly feet to lave ; 

230 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Then lay before him all thou hast, allow 

No cloud of passion to usurp thy brow, 

Or mar thy hospitality ; no wave 

Of mortal tumult to obliterate 

The soul's marmoreal calmness : grief should be 

Like joy, majestic, equable, sedate ; 

Confirming, cleansing, raising, making free ; 

Strong to consume small troubles ; to commend 

Great thoughts, grave thoughts, thoughts lasting to the end. 

Aubrey de Vere. 
¥ 

XXX. £0 e Artificer of ffi* £)#n ffiawinm. 

Great in counsel, and mighty in work, Thine eyes 
are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give 
everyone according to his ways and after the fruit of 
his doing. — Jeremiah xxxii. ig. 



rWI AN is the artificer of his own happiness. Let him 
^- beware how he complains of the disposition of 
circumstances, for it is his own disposition he blames. 
If this be sour, or that rough, or the other steep, let 
him think if it be not his work. If his look curdles all 
hearts, let him not complain of a sour reception; if he 
hobble in his gait, let him not complain of the rough- 
ness of the way ; if he is weak in his knees, let him not 
call the hill steep. This was the pith of the inscription 
on the wall of a Swedish inn, " You will find at Trol- 
hate excellent bread, meat, and wine, provided you 
bring them with you. ,, 

H. D. Thoreau. 

23 « 



SUN AND SHIELD 

RABIA* 

nf) OUND holy Rabia's suffering bed 

\Z* The wise men gathered, gazing gravely— 

" Daughter of God ! " the youngest said, 

" Endure thy Father's chastening bravely ; 
They who have steeped their souls in prayer, 
Can every anguish calmly bear." 

She answered not, and turned aside, 

Though not reproachfully nor sadly ; 
" Daughter of God ! " the eldest cried, 

" Sustain thy Father's chastening gladly ; 
They who have learned to pray aright, 
From pain's dark well draw up delight." 

Then spake she out — " Your words are fair ; 

But, oh, the truth lies deeper still ; 
I know not, when absorbed in prayer, 

Pleasure or pain, or good or ill ; 
They who God's face can understand, 
Feel not the workings of His hand." 

From " Palm Leaves," by Lord Houghton. 



A holy Arabian woman, who lived in the second century of the Hegira. 



232 



Zfy £octae Bife. 



It is not good that man should be alone. — Genesis 
it. 18. 

That which is not good for the hive, is not good 
for the bees. — The Stoics. 

The light for one man is a light for a hundred. — 
The Pharisees. 



*33 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



I. J=M (peace, anb (pureue it. 



And Abram said unto Lot : Let there be no strife, 
I pray thee, between me and thee, between my herds- 
men and thy herdsmen; for we be brethren. — Genesis 
xiii. 8. 

The perfection of all the blessings of God is Peace. 
— The Pharisees. 



/Jr\H, my dear friends, you who are letting miserable 
misunderstandings run on from year to year, 
meaning to clear them up some day; you who are keep- 
ing wretched quarrels alive because you cannot quite 
make up your mind that now is the day to sacrifice your 
pride and kill them ; you who are passing men sullenly 
upon the street, not speaking to them out of some silly 
spite, and yet knowing that it would fill you with 
shame and remorse if you heard that one of those men 
were dead to-morrow morning; you who are letting 
your neighbor starve, till you hear that he is dying of 
starvation; or letting your friend's heart ache for a 
word of appreciation or sympathy, which you mean to 
give him some day — if you could only know, and see, 
and feel, all of a sudden, that " the time is short," how 
it would break the spell ! How you would go instantly 
and do the thing which you might never have another 

chance to do. 

Phillips Brooks. 



% 



OVINGLY to each other sun and moon give place, 

Else were the mighty heaven for them too narrow space. 



235 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



II. tyt gin of ^fdnbet. 



Guard thy tongue from speaking ill, and thy lips 
from speaking guile ; depart from evil and do good, 
seek peace and pursue it. — Psalm xxxiv. ij, 14. 



QJEGARDING slander it is written, that there is 
^ none, nay, not one, who is quite free from this 
sin ; and, if there be found one who is not chargeable 
with slander direct, then surely w r ith what the Talmud 
calls " Dust of Slander," that is: the speaking of things 
which cause slander. Even in praising men be mode- 
rate; for excess of praise provokes blame and the 
mention of faults. Yet do not withhold recognition 
from those to whom it is due. A wise man said that he 
found reason for honoring almost every one he knew. 
Of the famed he said to himself : they surely have done 
more good and borne more burdens than I ; of the rich : 
they have given more in charity than I; of the young: 
there is more of the innocence of childhood in them 
than in me ; of the learned : I must pay him the respect 
due to teacher from pupil. He was rewarded for 
his consideration with the love and confidence of his 
fellow-men ; he was enabled to achieve much good in 
his lifetime, and he finally passed away at peace with 
all men. 

From the Testament of Jehudah ben Asher. 

The slanderous tongue shoots its arrows at Jerusa- 
lem, and causes wounds at Rome. 

The Pharisees. 

236 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

III. Qto Oufcdete. 

For I will restore health unto thee and I will heal 
thee of thy wounds, saith the Lord; because they 
called thee an outcast, saying : This is Zion, whom no 
man seeketh after ; behold ! I will bring again the 
captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his 
dwelling-places. — Jeremiah xxx. 77, 18. 



Tj^HERE ought to be no outcasts. To be an outcast 
at all is almost to turn a man or woman into a 
devil. To be an outcast, to know how one is looked 
down upon, shunned and loathed by the so-called good 
and respectable, is to kindle within a human soul the 
worst passions of the wild beast. You have never tried 
it, never known what it is to be shuddered at and 
shrunk from as a pestilent thing. You cannot have the 
faintest idea of its misery or of the depth of evil which 
such a feeling inspires — especially when it is felt to be 
partly deserved. No wonder it drives the tainted flock 
together in a new bond of infamy and hatred of all that 
is good. No wonder it leads to gross intemperance and 
other forms of vice, and to still grosser shamelessness 
and loss of every vestige of self-respect. And few 
there are who ever contemplate the awful danger to 
society thus brought on by society's dainty and cruel 
contempt. Very few are aware that the presence of 
such classes, bereft of all human care and sympathy, is 
a horrible volcano which one day will burst in fury 
over our boasted civilization. But unless the plague be 
stayed, the catastrophe will fall. Charles Voysey. 

237 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

jSLPEAK gently to the erring one 
^^ And let us not forget, 
However darkly stained by sin, 

He is our brother yet; 
Heir of the same inheritance, 

Child of the self-same God ; 
He has but stumbled in the path 

We have in weakness trod. 
Forget not, thou hast often sinned, 

And sinful yet must be ; 
Deal gently with the erring one, 

As God has dealt with thee. 

¥ 

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have 
turned everyone to his own way. — Isaiah liii. 6. 



ft* HE little I have seen of the world and know of the 
history of mankind teaches me to look upon the 
errors of others in sorrow, not in anger. When I take 
the history of one poor heart that has sinned and suf- 
fered, and represent to myself the struggles and temp- 
tations it has passed — the brief pulsations of joy — the 
feverish inquietude of hope and fear — the tears of 
regret — the feebleness of purpose — the pressure of 
want— the desertion of friends— the scorn of the world 
that has little charity — the desolation of the soul's 
sanctuary and threatening voices from within — health 
gone — happiness gone — even hope, that stays with us 
longest, gone — I have little heart for aught else than 
thankfulness that it is not so with me, and would fain 

238 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

leave the erring soul of my fellow-men with Him from 
whose hands it came. 



Longfellow, 



A\ PRAY for all the poor besides : 
^■^ The prisoner in his cell ; 
And those who in the city wide 

With crime and misery dwell ; 
And for the sage who thinks and dreams, 
For him who impiously blasphemes 

Religion's holy law, 
Pray thou — for prayer is infinite, 
Thy faith may give the scorner light, 

Thy prayer forgiveness draw. 

V. # uff (parbon. 



And Joseph's brethren said to him : We pray thee, 
forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy 
father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him, 
and he said : Fear not ! for am I in the place of God ? 
I will nourish you and your little ones ; and he com- 
forted them, and spake kindly unto them. — Genesis /. 



&E>T not the sun in Capricorn (when the days are 
shortest), go down upon thy wrath, but write thy 
wrong in ashes. Draw the curtain of night upon injur- 
ies; shut them up in the tower of oblivion; and let 
them be as though they had not been. To forgive our 
enemies, yet hope that God will punish them, is not to 



239 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

forgive enough. To forgive them ourselves, and not 
to pray God to forgive them, is a partial act of charity. 
Forgive thine enemies totally, and without any reserve. 

Sir Thomas Brown. 

He that cannot forgive others breaks down the 
bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man 
has need to be forgiven. 

3N peace with all the world we live, 
Nor let our angry passions burn, 
But when we suffer we'll forgive, 
And good for evil we'll return. 

And we'll forgive and we'll forget, 

And conquer every sullen word, 
Unkindness shall with love be met, 

And evil overcome with good. 

VI. <£>oin$ <|5oob Without CmtBtns garm. 

Bring the poor that are cast out to thy house . 
when thou seest the naked, cover him ; hide not thy- 
self from thine own flesh. — Isaiah Iviii. y. 

Receive the poor among the children of thine own 
household. — The Pharisees. 



Tj^HE only way in which we can help men and women, 

in the long run, is to help them to be men and 

women. If we cannot make them self-supporting, we 

cannot see them starve, I suppose; but yet we have 



240 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

done them no real good until we have taught them to 
stand on their feet, and to conquer their conditions for 
themselves. It is time that society should be organized 
in such a way that we shall at least give these people 
an opportunity, give them a chance in their fight for 
life. But there is only a little that we can do. We 
can give them the inspiration of hope, we can give 
them the hand-clasp of our sympathy, we can give 
them an example. Let me make this real. One of the 
best things we can do for the poor is to teach them, by 
our example, that we believe that manhood is more 
than money, and so teach them, what we believe to be 
the best thing in the world as within their reach. We 
sow discontent broadcast so long as we make the per- 
nicious impression that we believe money is the most 
important thing in the world, and all the while they are 
not able to get it. But if we live in such a way as to 
show that we really believe that manhood is more than 
money, then we put hope in their hearts. 

Minot J. Savage. 

/^\RAY thou for all who living tread 
\f* Upon this earth of graves ; 
For all whose weary pathway leads 

Among the winds and waves ; 
For those who madly take delight 
In pomp of silken mantle 

Or other vain display ; 
For those who, laboring, suffer still, 
Coming or going, doing ill, 

Or on their heavenward way. 

341 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



VII. $ngef0' (gisffe. 



For He will give His angels charge to guard thee 
in all thy ways. — Psalm xci. u. 



" ft NE angel," say the Rabbis, "has only One 
mission at a time." The world might be a 
fitter place for angels' visits if we possessed something 
of this angelic concentration, if our sympathies were 
less diffuse, and, therefore, stronger; if we gave our 
hearts more fully to our fellows, if our conceit did not 
render us so anxious to have a finger in everything, 
while we have a hand in nothing. Then, again, has it 
ever struck you, how chary the angels were of their 
words ? The angels of the Bible did many wonderful 
things, but they had very little to say. They mostly 
spoke in monosyllables; they rarely uttered two 
sentences together, and when they had done their 
work, they went without waiting for thanks. . . . 
Men's words create no angels; but, say the Rabbis, 
men's honest acts do. " Every deed well done gives 
birth to an angel who watches over the doer." Isaiah's 
angels had but one voice to speak with, and six wings 
to fly with and to act. What an angelic world this 
would be if every one of us did six times as much as he 
said! Israel Abrahams. 

J^OD deigned to man His angel hosts reveal, 
\D That man might learn, like angels, to obey ; 
And those who long their bliss in Heaven to feel, 
Might strive on earth to serve Him e'en as they. 

242 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



VIII. £0e (pfeabing (ttotce of (Bob. 



And David longed and said, Oh, that one would 
give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem 
which is by the gate. And three mighty men broke 
through the host of the Philistines . . . and took 
water and brought it to David ; yet David would not 
drink of it, but poured it out unto the Lord. And he 
said : Be it far from me that I should do this. Is not 
this the blood of the men that went in jeopardy of 
their lives ? — II. Samuel xxiii. 75, 17. 



/ttTOD makes the voice of others' pain and misery His 
voice, pleading with us to remember those whom 
He seems to have forgotten. Among all the golden 
deeds of history, what one do we remember with more 
admiration than that of Sir Philip Sidney dying on the 
disastrous field of Zutphen, and foregoing the cup of 
cold water because another's necessity was greater than 
his own ? There is a battle raging which has centuries 
for its hours, and races for its regiments and battalions, 
whose incidents are revolutions and reformations, here 
the initiation of a new religion, there the emancipation 
of a race. And in this battle we are soldiers, each and 
all; and, if sore wounded now and then and craving a 
cup of water for our thirst, behold some fellow-soldier 
hurt more cruelly, and, if we have the knightly temper, 
there is no other thing for us to say but, " His neces- 
sity is greater than mine, ,, no other thing for us to do 
but to put the proffered cup aside. 

John W. Chadwick. 

243 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

3S thy cruse of comfort wasting ? 
Rise and share it with another, 
And through all the years of famine, 
It shall serve thee and thy brother. 
Is thy burden hard and heavy ? 

Do thy steps drag heavily ? 
Help to bear thy brother's burden ; 
God will bear both, it and thee. 

IX. Qge <mb Appear <B»oob. 



And Boaz said unto Ruth : It hath fully been 
shown to me all that thou hast done unto thy mother- 
in-law since the death of thy husband, and how thou 
hast left thy father and thy mother and the land of 
thy nativity, and art come unto a people thou knewest 
not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and 
a full reward be given thee of the Lord, God of Israal 
under whose wings thou hast come to rest. — Ruth ii, 
II, 12. 

Which is the way a man should choose ? That 
which is honorable to himself, and causes no offence 
to his fellow-men. — Chapters of the Fathers. 



^F to be good is noble, to appear good is profitable. 
** Truth is better than reputation; but happiness 
consists in the union of the two. There are thousands 
who are pure and devoted to virtue; but, having no 
care of how their actions appear in the eyes of the 
observers, suffer from the attacks of the multitude. 
M . . He to whom God has granted grace to be good 

244 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

and to appear good, he is truly blessed and justly 
honored. 

Piiilo Judeaus. 

Let your light so shine before men that they may see 
your good works and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven. 

From the Sermon on the Mount. 

Oy PALTRY watch, in private pocket borne, 
\£{y Misleads but him alone by whom 'tis worn ; 
But the town clock that domes or towers display, 
By going wrong, leads half the world astray. 

The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of 
David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. — 
/. Samuel xviii. i. 

There is a friend that sticketh closer than a 
brother. — Proverbs xviii. 24. 



AVI ANY men and women suffer acutely, especially in 
^- their later years, because they have made no 
friendships, or have lost those that they once had made. 
For what does friendship mean? "A friend," says 
Emerson, "is a person with whom I maybe sincere; 
before him I may think aloud." The Rabbis said the 
same thing. " Get a companion," they counsel us, " to 
whom you can tell all your secrets." See how this cuts 
both ways. To a friend you reveal your entire self, 

245 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

but if so, it cannot be an altogether bad one. You 
would be ashamed to lay bare to your friend an ugly 
heart, and so your very friendship forces you to make 
your heart fair. The surest safeguard against conceit, 
against selfishness, against petty vindictiveness, against 
all the lower vices, is to have a friend to whom you must 
tell everything, before whom you not only may, but 
must think aloud. 

Israel Abrahams. 

3F you have a friend worth loving, 
Love him. Yes, and let him know 
That you love him ere life's evening 
Tinge his brow with sunset glow. 
Why should good words ne'er be said 
Of a friend till he is dead ? 

XI. £0e (giofit QUe of (power. 

The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; 
the world and they that dwell therein. — Psalm xxiv. i. 

All is in the power of God — save only the fear of 
God, this is in the power of man. — The Pharisees. 



Tj^HE proud cedar is felled, while the humble shrub is 
left alone; fire ascends and goes out, water de- 
scends and is not lost. Exalt not thyself over neighbor 
and brother; for so doing, thou givest provender to 
hate, and the poor man, whom thou hast looked down 
on, may bear away the palm of victory easily from 
thee. 

246 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

What a man spends on the poor when he is in full 
health, is gold; when sick, silver; what he provides for 
them in his last will, copper. 

Power and wealth, as well as mental cleverness, are 
gifts of God; therefore let no man glory because he 
possesses them. The only thing we, as free agents, 
really possess in full inalienable right, is upright walk- 
ing in the fear of God; and it is because that is so, that 
we can glory in the knowledge of God. 

Do not struggle vaingloriously for the small triumph 
of showing thyself in the right, and a wise man in the 
wrong; thou art not one wit the wiser therefore. 

Jewish Moralists of the Middle Ages. 

-y^EACH us our blessings to improve ; 
\S Teach us to serve Thee and to love • 
Exalt our hearts that we may see 
The Giver of all good in Thee ; 
And be Thy Word our daily food, 
Thy service, Lord, our greatest good. 

XII. (matins tfc (§t*t of One (gtnof^er. 

As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of 
man answereth to the heart. — Proverbs xxvii, ig. 



^fr)E ma y> ^ we choose, make the worst of one 
another. Everyone has his weak points ; everyone 
has his faults ; we may make the worst of these ; we 
may fix our attention constantly upon these. But we 
may also make the best of one another; we may for- 



247 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

give, even as we hope to be forgiven. We may put 
ourselves in the place of others, and ask what we 
should wish to be done to us, and thought of us, were 
we in their place. By loving whatever is lovable in 
those around us, love will flow back from them to us, 
and life will become a pleasure instead of a pain ; and 
earth will become like heaven ; and we shall become 
not unworthy followers of Him whose name is Love. 

A. P. Stanley. 

Mankind is always happier for having been happy; so 
that if you make them happy now, you make them 
happy twenty years hence by the memory of it. 

Sidney Smith. 

CL CATTER thus your seeds of kindness, 
JS' All enriching as you go ; 
Leave them trust the harvest giver, 
He will make each seed to grow. 
So, until its happy end, 
Your life shall never lack a friend. 

¥ • 

XIII. 3uetice QSefore C0<M% 

On justice shall Jerusalem be established, and 
shall be far from oppression. — Isaiah liv. 14. 

That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, 
that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the 
Lord thy God giveth thee. — Deuteronomy xvi. 20. 



(T^EOPLE are perpetually squabbling about what will 
\i be best to do, or easiest to do, or advisablest to do ; 
but they never, so far as I hear them talk, ever ask 

248 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

what it is just to do. And it is the law of heaven that 
you shall not be able to judge what is wise or easy 
unless you are first resolved to judge what is just, and 
to do it. 

Unless we perform Divine Service in every willing 
act of life, we never perform it at all. The one Divine 
work, the one ordered sacrifice — is to do justice; and it 
is the last we are ever inclined to do. Anything 
rather than that ! As much charity as you choose, but 
no justice. " Nay," you will say, "charity is greater 
than justice." Yes, it is greater; it is the summit of 
justice — it is the temple of which justice is the founda- 
tion. But you cannot have the top without the bottom; 
you cannot build upon charity; you must build upon 
justice, for this main reason, that you have not at first 
charity to build with. It is the last reward of good 
work. Do justice to your brother (you can do that 
whether you love him or not) and you will come to love 
him. But do injustice to him, because you do not love 
him, and you will come to hate him. 

John Ruskin. 



/^EACE to the just man's memory — 

\f* Let it grow 

Greener with years, and blossom 

Through the flight of ages, 
And hold it up to men, and bid them claim 
A palm like his, and catch from him the hallowed flame. 

249 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XIV. <Bnbeat>ot6. 



Not on thee, O man, rests the responsibility for 
the completion of the work (done for God), but neither 
art thou free to withhold thy allotted share from it. — 

Chapters of the Fathers, 



J^HE question should not be: Can we lay the founda- 
^ tion for something good ? Can we alone remedy 
an abuse ? Shall we see the fruit of our exertions in 
the well-being of the state or society ? No, all this de- 
pends not on man ; it lies hidden in the counsel of God, 
concealed in sacred and unfathomable fate. But the 
question we can, nay, ought to ask ourselves daily, is 
this : Have I done this day that which according to my 
feeling and apprehension appears the best — the best for 
the state, the best for those with whom I came in direct 
contact ; out of these two sources results also the best 
for ourselves. Not what we have attained, but what 
we have striven to attain, with the earnest employment 
of all our energies, should give us comfort. If we can 
truly say, after due self-examination : * ' I have done 
the best I could" — this should bring us contentment 
and peace. 

George Forster. 

^V)H AT you can do, or dream you can, begin it ; 
"^J Boldness has genius, power and magic in it ; 
Only begin and then the mind grows heated ; 
Begin, then the work will be completed. 

250 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XV. £ot>e £fe«eff in Zfy (Uei#or. 



Hear this, all ye people, give ear all ye inhabi- 
tants of the earth ; both low and high, rich and poor 
together. — Psalm xlix. /, 2. 



q|%ENEVOLENCE is a duty. He who frequently 

^■* practices it, and sees his benevolent intentions 

realized, at length comes to love him to whom he has 

done good. When, therefore, it is said, "Thou shalt 

love thy neighbor as thyself," it is not meant, thou 

shalt love him first, and do good to him in consequence 

of that love, but, thou shalt do good to thy neighbor, 

and this, thy beneficence, will engender in thee that 

love to mankind which is the fullness of the inclination 

to do good. 

Emanuel Kant. 

There are few men who are not ambitious of distin- 
guishing themselves in the nation or country where 
they live, and of growing considerable with those with 
whom they converse. There is a kind of grandeur and 
respect which the meanest and most insignificant part 
of mankind endeavor to procure in the little circle of 
their friends and acquaintances. The poorest mechanic, 
nay, the man who lives upon common alms, gets him 
his set of admirers, and delights in that superiority 
which he enjoys over those who are in some respects 
beneath him. This ambition, which is natural to the 
soul of man, might, methinks, receive a very happy 

251 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

turn, and, if it were rightly directed, contribute as 
much to a person's advantage as it generally does to his 
uneasiness and disquiet. 

Addison. 

r /^ lO all the good you can, 
*™ By all the means you can, 
In all the ways you can, 
In all the places you can, 
At all the times you can, 
To all the people you can, 
As long as ever you can. 

9* 

XVI. £0e (Brace of (Jttanners. 

God giveth grace to the lowly, and the wise shall 
inherit honor. — Proverbs Hi, 34, 33. 



^F you wish to be loved, love measure. You must 
^ have genius or a prodigious usefulness if you will 
hide the want of measure. This perfection comes in to 
polish and perfect the part of the social instrument. 
Society will pardon much to genius and special gifts, 
but, being in its nature a convention, it loves what is 
conventional or what belongs to coming together. 
That makes the good and bad of manners, namely, 
what helps or hinders fellowship. For fashion is not 
good sense absolute, but relative; not good sense pri- 
vate, but good sense entertaining company. It hates 
corners and sharp points of character, hates quarrel- 



252 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

some, egotistical, solitary, and gloomy people; hates 
whatever can interfere with total blending of parties, 
whilst it values all particularities as in the highest 
degree refreshing, which can consist with good fellow- 
ship. 

Emerson. 

Manners are the shadows of virtues; the momentary 
display of those qualities which our fellow-creatures 
love and respect. If we strive then to become what we 
strive to appear, manners may often be rendered useful 
guides to the performance of our duties. 

Sidney Smith. 



3 



N simple manners all the secret lies, 

Be kind and virtuous, and you'll be blest and wise. 



¥ 

XVII. Zfy Soften (QXedn. 



Be not righteous overmuch, neither make thyself 
overwise : why shouldest thou destroy thyself. — 
Ecdesiastes vii. 16. 



T^HE Roman poet called him happy who understands 
the causes of events ; equally so is he who knows 
and keeps the golden mean. "Not too much of any- 
thing " was the famous saying of one of the seven sages 
of Greece. The Jewish poet Emanuel Romi applied 
this rule to our intercourse with men: 

Be not so sweet that men devour thee ; 
Be not so bitter that men spit thee out ; 

253 



SUN AND SHIELD. 
And the profound Soloman Gabirol writes : 

The ends (of the magnetic needle) are the places of trembling fear ; 
the centre is the place of rest and firmness. 

In moral excellence there can be excess, defect and 
the mean. It is possible, f. i., to feel the emotions of 
fear, confidence, lust, anger, compassion and pleasure 
and pain, generally too much or too little; and in either 
case wrongly; but to feel them when we ought, towards 
whom and as we should do, is the mean, or, in other 
words, the best state, and this is the property of virtue. 

Aristotle. 

/Jf\NE by one thy duties wait thee ; 
^■^ Let thy whole strength go to each ; 
Let no future dreams elate thee : 

Learn thou first what these can teach. 



XVIII. (ginbfg £peec$. 

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious ; 
they are heard for appeasing. — Ecclesiastes ix. 17. 



HfclND words never blister the tongue or lips. And 
we never heard of any mental trouble arising from 
this quarter. Though they do not cost much, yet they 
accomplish much. They help one's own good nature 
and good will. Soft words soften our own soul. Angry 
words are fuel to the flame of wrath, and make it burn 
more fiercely. Kind words make other people good 



254 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

natured. Cold words freeze people, and hot words 
scorch them, and bitter words make them bitter, and 
wrathful words make them wrathful. There is such a 
rush of all other kind of words in our day, that it seems 
desirable to give kind words a chance among them. . . . 
Kind words also produce their own image on men's 
souls. And a beautiful image it is. They soothe, and 
quiet, and comfort the hearer. They shame him out of 
his sour, morose, unkind feelings. We have not yet 
begun to use kind words in such abundance as they 
ought to be used. Blaise Pascal. 

3F your work is made more easy 
By a friendly helping hand, 
Say so. Speak out brave and truly 

Ere the darkness veils the land. 
Should a brother workman dear 
Falter for a word of cheer ? 



XIX. j>ure (Reftgton <mb (Unbeftfeb. 

Thou, O God, art of purer eyes than to behold evil, 
and canst not look on iniquity. — Habakuk i. ij. 

Justice and judgement are the habitation of Thy 
throne ; mercy and truth shall go before Thy face. — 
Psalm Ixxxix. 14, 



t^ET every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow 

to wrath; for the wrath of man worketh not the 

righteousness of God. If any man among you seem to 



255 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth 
his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure relig- 
ion and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to 
visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to 
keep himself unspotted from the world. If you fulfill 
the royal law according to the Scriptures : Thou shalt 
love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well ; but if ye have 
respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of 
the law as transgressors. The wisdom which is from 
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to 
be persuaded, full of mercy and good fruits, without 
partiality and without hypocrisy. — Epistle of James. 

A%RIGINAL of beings, Power Divine ! 
^■^ Since that I live and that I think is Thine. 
Benign Creator ! let Thy plastic hand 
Dispose its own effect ; let Thy command 
Restore, great Father, Thy instructed son, 
And in my acts, may Thy great will be done. 



XX. &0e ConeoMion of f0e (gi$ttow. 

But as for me, I will walk in my integrity ; 

Redeem me, and be merciful unto me. My foot 
shall ever stand in an even place ; in the Congregation 
will I bless the Lord. — Psalm xxvi. if, 12. 



OfYlHEN the ear heard me, then it blessed me; when 

the eye saw me it gave witness unto me ; because 

I delivered the poor that cried to me, and the fatherless 

256 



SUN AND SHIELD, 

and him that has none to help him. The blessing of 
him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I 
made the heart of the widow to sing for joy. I put on 
righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was as a 
robe of honor and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, 
and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the needy, 
and their cause, which I knew not, I searched out; and 
so I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the 
spoil out of their teeth. 

If I have seen any one perish for want of clothing, if 
he was not warmed with the wool of my sheep; if I 
have lifted up my hand against the fatherless because I 
saw my help in the gate; then let my arm fall from my 
shoulder-blade and be broken from my bone. — 

From Job xxxix-xxxi. 

TjHE paths of virtue must be reached by toil, 
^^ Arduous and long, and on a rugged soil, 
Thorny the gate, but when the top you gain, 
Fair is the future, and the prospect plain. 



XXI. Zfy (Breateef te £ot>e. 

Say not thou, I will return evil for evil : wait thou 
on the Lord and He shall save thee. — Proverbs xx. 

22. 



^HOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of 

angels and have not love, I am become a sounding 

brass or a tinkling cymbal, and though I have the gift 

257 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all 
knowledge ; and though I have all faith, so that I could 
remove mountains, and have not love, I am nothing, 
and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and 
though I give my body to be burned, and have no love, 
it profiteth me nothing. And now abideth: faith, hope 
and love, these three; but the greatest of them is love. 
— From the Epistle to the Corinthians. 



I have not made gold my hope nor said to fine gold : 
thou art my confidence. I rejoiced not at the destruc- 
tion of him that hated me, nor lifted up myself when 
evil found him. Neither have I suffered my soul to 
sin by wishing a curse to his soul. The stranger did 
not lodge in the street, but I opened my door to the 
traveller, yet did I not cover my transgression as men 
do nor hide my iniquity in my bosom. Neither did I 
fear a great multitude or was terrified by the contempt 
of families. — From Job, xxxi. 



k\ PARSES, justice ever be thy guide ; 
^*?f May malice never gain upon thy will, 
Malice that makes the wretch more wretched still. 
The good man, injured, to revenge is slow ; 
To him the vengeance is the greater woe. 
Ever will injurious courses fail, 
And justice ever over wrong prevail. 

258 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XXII. ^oBriefg. 



Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning 
that they may follow strong drink ; who continue un- 
til night, till wine inflame them ! And the harp and 
the viol, the tabret and the flute, and the wine are in 
their feasts ; but they regard not the work of the Lord, 
neither consider the operation of His hands. — Isaiah 
v. ji % 12. 



3N regard to temperance in the use of strong drinks 
the Jew is a law unto himself; perhaps it is more 
correct to say: his religion made him so. He does not 
wait for the civic law to keep him sober. Total absti- 
nence, which we should always treat respectfully, springs 
from a loathing of the poisoned cup which destroys its 
thousands and ten thousands. But, as in the days of 
Egypt's judgment, the plague has not entered the Jew's 
home; he " does not fear the wine because it is red." 
The genius of our religion is anti-ascetic. It looks 
with no friendly eye upon the Nazirite, and treats 
him more like a sinner than a saint, as he seems to 
need extra bridles to tame his fleshly appetites. Keep- 
ing other and longer fasts than the law ordains, the 
Talmud hesitates not to stigmatize as foolish piety ; it 
is more meritorious, say the masters, to offer God a 
hundred benedictions every day for blessings enjoyed, 
than to smite the breast and weary the tongue with 
penitential lamentations. But, although not altogether 
approving of total abstinence, we Jews are, nevertheless 

259 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

on the same side of the problem ; we assist its solution 
in our own way. Our vow of faithfulness to the 
covenant includes all that is truly beneficial in the 
pledge of the abstainer. G. G. 

/%Kj|ETTER to weave in the web of life 

\Sf A bright and golden filling, 

And to do God's Will with a ready heart 

And hands that are swift and willing, 
Than to snap the tender and delicate threads 

Of our curious life asunder, 
And then blame heaven for the tangled ends 

And sit, and grieve, and wonder. 

XXI 1 1. Zfyt fcxtainm of feiftfe Z§in$*. 

Blessed are they that keep judgment ; and they that 
do righteousness at all times. — Psalm cvi. j. 

Every man shall give as he is able according to the 
blessing of the Lord, thy God, which he hath given 
thee. — Deut. xvi. 17. 



<X)R. JOHNSON wisely said: " He who waits to do 
a great deal of good at once will never do any- 
thing." Life is made up of little things. It is but 
once in an age that occasion is offered for a great deed. 
True greatness consists in being great in little things. 
How are railways built ? By one shovelful of dirt after 
another; one shovelful at a time. Thus drops make the 
ocean. Hence we should be willing to do a little good 
at a time, and never " wait to do a great deal of good 

260 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

at once." If we would do much good in the world we 
must be willing* to do good in little things, little acts, 
one after another, speaking a word here, giving a tract 
there, and setting a good example at all times; we must 
do the first good thing we can, and then the next, and 
the next, and so keep on doing. This is the way to accom- 
plish anything. Thus only shall we do all the good in 
our power. Anonymus. 

A^UR life is but the twinkle of a star 

^■^ In God's eternal day. Obscure and dim 

With mortal clouds, it yet may beam for Him. 
And darkened here, shine fair to spheres afar. 
I will be patient, lest my sorrow bar 

His grace and blessing, and I fall supine ; 
In my own hands my want and weakness are, 

My strength, O, God ! is Thine. 

XXIV. Consummation of t#e (past 



One generation goes, and another generation com- 
eth, but the earth abideth always. — Ecclesiastes i. 4. 



^ET us not forget that it is not only great thoughts 
and great men that the past needs for its consum- 
mation; it is that power and consecration which come 
from every individual life. These great forces of love 
and justice and truth are not committed to a few alone; 
they are committed to us all. They are the forces by 
which God means to finish this world. 

Some of this force is given to you. It is the love in 

261 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

your heart, the righteousness which may work through 
your conscience, the truth which may illuminate your 
intellect. And every time you help to speed the truth, 
every time you give a nobler moral judgment than the 
conventional standard of morality, every time you over- 
come the spirit of hate with the spirit of love, you are 
helping God to finish his world. Do not stand in the 
way of these forces; do not obstruct them. Let them 
work in you and through you. You have not created 
them, but you may learn to apply them. It may not 
be yours to announce a new discovery, to proclaim an 
invention, to lead the world to the victories of peace, 
but you may put a nail in here, a brick in there — you 
may help to finish what some other life has begun. 

Sam. T. Barrows. 

^VjOULDST thou from sorrow find a sweet relief? 

**^ Or in thy heart, oppressed with woes untold, 
Balm wouldst thou gather for corroding grief? 
Pour blessings round thee like a shower of gold. 

Some high or humble enterprise of good 

Contemplate, till it shall possess thy mind 

Become thy study, pastime, rest and food, 

And kindle in thy heart a flame refined. 

XXV. %\xm(KXi (giiuftp. 

They helped every one his neighbor, and every one 
said to his brother : be strong ! — Isaiah xli. 6. 



J \VlE must teach every youth to stretch out his hand 
to the drowning, show the right way to the stray- 



262 



SUN AND SHIELD, 

ing, and share his crust with the starving. I need not go 
on to enumerate all that should be done or not be done 
when I can briefly impress on our pupil a law of duty 
between man and man like this: All that you see, in- 
cluding things human and divine, forms One Whole. 
We are members of that body. Nature made us akin 
when she produced us out of the same elements, for the 
same purpose. She planted within us the seed of 
mutual affection, and formed us for fellowship. It was 
she that determined what was right. By her ordinance 
it is worse to do than to suffer injury. According to 
her law should hands be trained to help; that well- 
known line should ever be in mind and mouth: 

Man am I, and to all things human I am kin. 

We were born, let us remember, for the common good ; 
society is just like an arch which is supported simply 
by the reciprocal pressure of the several stones, without 
which the structure must fall. Seneca. 



^VjHO, full of viles, his neighbor's harm contrives, 

False to himself, against himself he strives ; 
For he that harbors evil in his mind, 
Will from his evil thoughts but evil find. 
And, lo ! the eye of God that all things knows, 
Can, when He will, the heart of man disclose ; 
Open the guilty bosom all within, 
And trace the infant thoughts of future sin. 

263 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXVI. (ptaiee <mb (prt?e of (girtue. 



I had grown faint unless I had believed to see the 
goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. — 
Psalm xxvii. ij. 



Tj^HE virtues we aspire to are great in their way, not 
however, because emancipation from evil is by 
itself such a blessed thing, but because every virtue 
expands the mind, fits it for the knowledge of heavenly 
things, and renders it capable for communion with God. 
Man only then attains the fulness and perfection of his 
destiny, when, having trodden all evil under foot, he 
lifts his mind above and penetrates into the inner heart 
of nature. Then he begins to apprehend God; for 
what is God but the Mind of the Universe ? » Then only 
do we ascribe to Him the perfection that is His due. 

What difference, then, is -between God's nature and 
ours ? Simply this: while with us the mind is the 
nobler part, He is nothing but Mind — He is all reason. 

Seneca. 

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see 
God. — From the Sermon $n the Mount. 

fi^O near is grandeur to our dust, 
^ So near is God to man, 

When duty whispers low : thou must, 
The youth replies, I can. 

264 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XXVII tfcgwd (UeeeofomtfetTEorte. 

And when the Israelites came to Marah they could 
not drink of the waters, for they were bitter . . . and 
Moses cried unto the Lord; and the Lord showed 
him a tree, which, when he had cast into the waters, 
the waters were made sweet. — Exodus xv. 23-25. 



(y^OES a man reproach thee for being proud, ill- 
natured, envious or conceited, ignorant or de- 
tracting? Consider with thyself whether his reproaches 
are true. If they are not, consider further that thou 
art not the person whom he reproaches, but that he 
reviles an imaginary being, and perhaps loves what 
thou really art, though he hates what thou appearest to 
be. If his reproaches are true, if thou art the envious, 
ill-natured man he takes thee for, give thyself 
another turn; become mild, affable and obliging, and 
his reproaches of thee will naturally cease ; or, if they 
still continue, thou art no longer the person whom he 
reproaches. Epictetus. 

All who speak truth to me commissoned are ; 
All who love God are in my church embraced. 

fiJ^ETTER have an act that's kindly 
^^ Treated sometime with disdain ; 
Than, by judging others blindly 
Doom the innocent to pain. 

265 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXVIII. £0e (panifg of (Baunftng. 



When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou 
not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the 
Lord annointed thee King over Israel ? — / Sam. xv. iy. 



0|YlHO art thou, O man, that presumest on thine own 
wisdom? Or why dost thou vaunt thyself on 
thine own acquirements? The first step towards being 
wise is, to know the things wherein we are ignorant; 
if thou wouldest not be esteemed foolish in the judg- 
ment of others, cast off the folly of being wise in thine 
own conceit. As a plain garment adorneth a beautiful 
woman, so a modest behavior is the greatest ornament 
of wisdom. The speech of a modest man giveth lustre 
to truth and the diffidence of his words absolveth his 
errors. He turneth away his ear from his own praise 
and believeth it not ; he is the last in discovering his 
own perfections. Yet, as a veil addeth to beauty, so are 
his virtues set off by the shade which his modesty 
casteth upon them. The vain man is puffed up with 
the vanity of his own imaginations, his delight is to 
hear and to speak of himself all the day long. He 
swalloweth with greediness his own praise and the 
flatterer, in return, eateth him up. Anon. 

"JETlS magic was not far to seek, 

rr ' He was so human ; whether strong or weak, 

Far from his kind he never sank or soared, 

But sate an equal guest at every board. 

266 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

No beggar ever felt him condescend, 
Nor prince presume ; himself he always bore 
At manhood's simple level, and where'er 
He met a stranger, there he left a friend. 



XXIX. £ot>e'0 gout @tfwtg6 Qtotfc 

I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the 
moving of my lips should assuage your grief. — Job 
xvi. S- 

Have pity on me, have pity on me, O, my friends; 
for the hand of God hath touched me. — Job xix. 21. 



^0)0 not keep the alabaster boxes of your love and 
tenderness sealed up until your friend is dead. 
Fill their lives with sweetness. Speak approving-, 
cheering words while their ears can hear them, and 
while their hearts can be thrilled by them. The things 
you mean to say, when they are gone, say before they 
go. The flowers you mean to send for their coffins, 
send to brighten and sweeten their homes before they 
leave them. ... I would rather have a bare coffin, 
without a flower, and funeral without an eulogy, than a 
life without the sweetness of love and sympathy. Let 
us learn to anoint our friends beforehand for their 
burial. Post-mortem kindness does not cheer the bur- 
dened spirit. Flowers on the coffin cast no fragrance 
backward over the weary days. 

Henry W. Beecher. 

♦ 

267 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



THE NINE PARADISES. 

3n the nine heavens are eight Paradises : 
Where is the ninth one ? In the human breast. 
Only the blessed dwell in the Paradises : 
But Blessedness dwells in the human breast. 
Created creatures are in the Paradises : 
The uncreated Maker in the breast. 
Rather, O man ! want those eight paradises 
Than be without the ninth one in thy breast. 
Given to thee are those eight Paradises 
When thou the ninth one hast within thy breast. 



XXX. Jiff $fe (pface in tfc ^truggfe for 

d5oobne00. 

I, the Lord, search the heart : I try the inward 
parts, even to give every man according to his ways 
and the fruit of his doings. — Jeremiah xvii. 10. 



£^URELY, when death is at hand, we should desire 
*""* to say, i ' I have contributed my grain to the great 
store of the eternal. I have borne my part in the 
struggle for goodness." If the thought of death has 
helped us so spend our lives, we may well be thankful. 
And let no man or woman suppose that the smallest 
social act of goodness is wasted for society at large. 
All our help, petty though it be, is needed, and though 
we know not the manner, the fruit of every faithful 
service is surely gathered in. Let the true and noble 
words of a great teacher ring in conclusion upon our 

268 



SUN AND SHIELD, 

ears: "The growing good of the world is partly de- 
pendent on unrecorded acts; and that things are not so 
ill with you and me as they might have been, is half 
owing to the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, 
and rest in unvisited tombs." 

Claude G. Montefiore. 

CV% OW mightest thou say here to me 
\i This word, if so befall : 
" To love both God and also man, 

Why should it me beseem ? 
It is enough that I love God 

Whereby I may be saved ! " 



But thou must this full truly know : 

It is not God's good will 
That either thou canst love Him much 

Or gladly yield him thrall, 
If that thou lovest not all men 

Like as thou lov'st thyself. 



2 6 



Zfy l)ome £tfe. 



As for me — I and my house, we will serve the Lord. 
— Joshuah. 

The first sure symptom of a mind in health 

Is rest of heart and pleasure felt at home. — Young, 



071 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

(paraffef (Roabe to {twines*. 



It is good that thou shouldst take hold of this ; but 
also from that withdraw not thy hand : for he that 
feareth God cometh forth without hurt from all. — 
Ecclesiastes vii. 18. 



TT'HERE are two ways of being happy — we may either 
diminish our wants or augment our means — either 
will do, the result is the same and it is for each man to 
decide for himself and do that which happens to be the 
easiest. If you are idle, or sick, or poor, however hard 
it may be to diminish your wants, it will be harder to 
augment your means. If you are active and prosper- 
ous, or young, or in good health, it may be easier for 
you to augment your means than to diminish your 
wants. But if you are wise you will do both at the 
same time, young or old, rich or poor, sick or well ; 
and if you are very wise, you will do both in such a 
way as to augment the general happiness of society. 

B. Franklin. 

A%PEN, Lord, my inward ear, 
^"^ And bid my heart rejoice ; 
Bid my quiet spirit hear 
The comfort of Thy voice. 

From the world of sin and noise 

And hurry I withdraw ; 
For the small and inward voice 

I wait with humble awe. 

273 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



II. Z§t 3°2 OU0 HEorfter. 



Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no 
better thing under the sun than to eat, and to drink, 
and to be merry ; for that shall abide with him of his 
labor the days of his life which God giveth him under 
the sun. — Ecclesiastes viii. ij. 



/(XlVE us, O give us the man who sings at his work. 
Be his occupation what it may, he is equal to any 
of those who follow the same pursuit in silent sullen- 
ness. He will do more in the same time — he will do it 
better — he will persevere longer. One is scarcely 
sensible of fatigue whilst he marches to music. The 
very stars are said to make harmony as they revolve in 
their spheres. Wondrous is the strength of cheerful- 
ness, altogether past calculation its powers of endur- 
ance. Efforts to be permanently useful must be uni- 
formly joyous — a spirit all -sunshine — graceful from 
very gladness — beautiful because bright. 

Thomas Carlyle. 



3F the world's a wilderness, 
Go build houses in it ! 
Will it help your loneliness 

On the winds to din it ? 
Raise a hut, however slight, 

Weeds and brambles smother, 
And to roof and meal invite 
Some forlorner brother. 

274 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



III. Zfy (Brace of Cfrfbfcoo. 



Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou 
ordained strength. — Psalm viiu 2. 



OJlHO can look at this exquisite little creature, a child 
seated on its cushion, and not acknowledge its pre- 
rogative of life — that mysterious influence which, in spite 
of the stubborn understanding, masters the mind, send- 
ing it back to days long past, when care was but a 
dream, and its most serious business but a childish 
frolic ? But we no longer think of childhood as a past, 
still less as an abstraction; we see it embodied before 
us in all its mirth, and fun, and glee, and the grave 
man becomes again a child, to feel as a child. . . 
What can be real if that is not which so takes us out 
of our present selves that the weight of years falls from 
us as a garment; that the freshness of life seems to be- 
gin anew ? Allston. 

I once heard a kind father say; " I talk to my chil- 
dren very much, but do not like to beat them; the 
world will beat them." It was a beautiful thought, 
though not elegantly expressed. Elihu Burrit. 

*7j HE child between her parents knelt, 
^^ Who prayed the more to God above, 
Because so close to them they felt 
The dearest gift of heavenly love. 

'^'RAILING clouds of glory, do we come 
^^ From God, who is our home ; 
Heaven lies about us in our infancy. 

275 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

IV. £ife in tfyt ©efitroger'e §ttps. 

Return unto thy rest, O, my soul, for the Lord hath 
dealt bountifully with thee. 

Thou has delivered my soul from death, mine eyes 
from tears, and my feet from falling.— Psalm cxvi. 
7,8. 

T^HERE is nothing, no nothing, innocent or good, 
that dies and is forgotten ; let us hold to that faith 
or none. An infant, a prattling child dying in its 
cradle will live again in the better thoughts of those 
who loved it, and play its part, through them, in the 
redeeming actions of the world, though its body be 
burnt to ashes, or drowned in the deepest sea. There 
is not an angel added to the host of heaven but does its 
blessed work on earth in those that loved it here. For- 
gotten ! oh, if the good deeds of human creatures could 
be traced to their source, how beautiful would even 
death appear! How much. charity, mercy and purified 
affection would be seen to have their growth in dusty 
graves. Oh, it is hard to take to heart the lesson that 
such deaths teach; but let no man reject it; for it is 
one that all must learn, and is a mighty, universal 
truth. Charles Dickens. 

So others shall 
Take patience, labor, to their heart and hand, 
From thy hand, and thy heart, and thy brave cheer, 
And God's grace fructify to thee, to all. 
The least flower with a brimming cup may stand, 
And share its dewdrop with another near. 

276 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



V. (Uei#orM>. 



The sons of Jacob said one to another : we are ver- 
ily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the 
anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we 
would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon 
us. — Genesis xlii. 21. 



OfYlHAT is meant by our neighbor we cannot doubt; 
it is every one with whom we are brought into 
contact. First of all, he is literally our neighbor who 
is next to us in our own family and household; husband 
to wife, wife to husband, parent to child, brother to 
sister, master to servant, servant to master. Then it is 
he who is close to us in our own neighborhood, in our 
own town, in our own parish, in our own street. With 
these all true charity begins. To love and be kind to 
these is the very beginning of all true religion. But, 
besides these, it is every one who is thrown across our 
path by the changes and chances of life; he or she, 
whosoever it be. whom we have any means of helping, 
— the unfortunate stranger whom we may meet in trav- 
elling, the deserted friend whom no one else cares to 
look after. A. P. Stanley. 

A child's kiss 
Set on thy sighing lips, shall make thee glad ; 
A poor man served by thee, shall make thee rich ; 
A sick man helped by thee, shall make thee strong ; 
Thou shalt be served thyself by every sense 
Of service which thou renderest. 

277 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

VI. £fat>eb from ©eef ruction. 

I. 



Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not any of 
His benefits . . . who redeemed thy life from 
destruction, and guarded thee around with kindness 
and tender mercies. — Psalms ciii. 2, 4. 



OtXUT there is yet another way in which the " saving 
^~ of life from destruction " may be understood. We 
call to mind the great anxieties of early manhood to 
follow some pursuit and to do some particular work in 
the world, and how often nothing but disappointment 
has followed. Either the chosen pursuit was frustrated 
and made impossible by uncontrollable circumstance; 
or, when undertaken, it has turned out to be a wretched 
failure. Ah! Who can measure the sadness, the 
despondency of those poor hearts who, having put the 
fruit of their labor to their lips, find nothing inside 
but dust and ashes. He is wont to think of his life and 
energies as thrown away, as destroyed. He knows, or 
thinks he knows, what he is specially fitted for, and yet 
his path thereto has been effectually barred, and he has 
been compelled to take up quite another and, as he 
feels, a lower occupation altogether. Yet how often 
such an one has found, on looking back, that his life 
has not been destroyed, but saved from destruction; 
that he has been of great use and value to his family 
and his fellow-men in that lower sphere of activity which 
he was compelled to adopt. Charles Voysey. 

278 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



jJ^HALL we murmur, shall we mourn ? 
^* Is our life quite, quite forlorn ? 
Or, in railing at our fate, 
Do we seize our joys too late ? 

Ever will we think our Lord 

Has man's prayers and cries ignored. 

Never will we understand 

Life is shaped by His kind hand. 

Should we all His wisdom know 
Then our hearts would humble grow ; 
Should we feel His ways are best, 
Then our souls would know true rest. 



VII. Jsfrweb from ©eefructton. 

II. 

He sent His word and healed them ; and delivered 
them from their destruction. — Psalms cvii. 20. 



O^ND here I must mention another class of disap- 
^- pointed lives, which move my deepest sympathy. 
Men, and women too, have naturally looked forward 
with beaming hope to the full fruition of their lives in 
marriage and family love Q This is one of the holiest 
and purest desires which a loving God has implanted in 
the human breast. And yet we know how sadly, how 
wofully, this hope has been blighted; how a most 
devoted affection has been bestowed on an unworthy 
object, how trusting hearts have been blighted by faith- 



279 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

lessness and desertion; and alas! sometimes the cold 
and cruel hand of Death has smitten asunder the loving 
pair, and sentenced one or the other to the most utter 
desolation. Can we not forgive such souls when they 
cry out that their lives have been wrecked, have been 
destroyed ? And yet, the world is full of instances in 
which these widowed and desolate souls have risen out 
of the ashes of their despair and led lives of surpassing 
beauty and loving kindness. God has sent them to 
bless, comfort and cherish some aged and enfeebled 
parent, some invalid brother or sister, or has sent some 
orphaned or outcast children to whom they could be a 
mother or a father. I have cases in my mind at this 
moment where these so-called blighted or blasted lives 
have been not only saved from destruction, but made 
radiant and glorious by heroic devotion; when the 
wealth of love, which might have all been poured forth 
on husband, or wife, or children, has been bestowed on 
kindred, and even on strangers, whose lives would have 
been destroyed through lack of it. 

Charles Voysey. 

3F the world seems cold to you, 
Kindle fires to warm it ! 
Let their comfort hide from view 

Winters that deform it. 
Hearts as frozen as your own 

To that radiance gather ; 
You will soon forget to moan, 
"Ah! the cheerless weather." 

280 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

VIII. Jfcmb from ©eetrucfion. 

III. 

I said in my haste : I am cut off from Thine eyes . 
nevertheless Thou heardest the voice of my supplica- 
tions. . . . Be of good courage, and lie shall 
strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. — 
Psalms xxxi. 22 ', 24. 



O^ND when we pass out of ourselves and the souls 
^-" which He has thus enriched and fortified, we 
meet the angels of His saving grace in the men, women 
and children by whom we are surrounded. Think for 
one moment of the mercies and blessings of family life 
and love, of the healing, saving influences of daily con- 
tact with those who dearly love us, who pray for us, 
who mourn over our sin and frailty, who are patient 
with our infirmity, who are good and kind to us, al- 
though we do not fully deserve it, who return us good 
for our evil, and forgive our trespasses even after we 
are grown weary of asking to be forgiven ; who think of 
us in the wakeful nights, and when we are far away 
sailing on distant seas or travelling amid the unknown 
and ghastly perils of foreign climes; the dear ones 
whose love has saved us from shameful sin a hundred 
times over, and whom the God of Love has set around 
on every side to protect us from ourselves. 

Charles Voysey. 
281 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



^yV^HEN all Thy mercies, O my God, 

***^ My rising soul surveys, 
Transported with the view, I'm lost 
In wonder, love and praise. 

Ten thousand thousand precious gifts 

My daily thanks employ ; 
Nor is the least a cheerful heart, 

That tastes those gifts with joy. 

¥ 

IX. Zfc (gtoeger't Zt<xx. 



And Hagar went and sat her down, over against 
Ishmael, a good way off . . . for she said : Let me 
not see the death of the child; and she sat over 
against him and lifted up her voice and wept. — 
Genesis xxi. 16. 



fi\ BLESSED be the tear that sadly rolled 

For me, O mother ! down thy sacred cheek ; 

That with a silent fervor did bespeak 
A fonder tale than language ever told ; 

And poured such balm upon my spirit, weak 
And wounded in a world so harsh and cold, 
As that wherewith an angel would uphold 

Those, that astray, heaven's holy guidance seek. 
And though it passed away, and, soon as shed 

Seemed ever lost, to vanish from thine eye, 
Yet only to the dearest store it fled 

Of my remembrance, where it now doth lie, 
Like a thrice precious relic of the dead, 

The chiefest jewel of its treasury. 

Robert Roscoe, 
282 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

" Honor thy father and thy mother." This Com- 
mandment was written on the same tablet (one of the 
two Moses brought from the mount) on which our 
duties towards God were engraven ; because the 
honor due to these representatives of God equals 
that we owe to Him. — The Pharisees, 

The mother, when she hears her son called " a full 
man," rejoices more than when she gave him birth. 
It is pleasant to the greatest that their children should 
be still greater. — Hindu. 

Defer humbly to thy parents out of tenderness, and 
say : Lord, have compassion on them both, even as 
they reared me when I was little. — Arabic. 



X. (present© of (perenniaf (price. 

And the Lord said, shall I hide from Abraham that 
which I do, seeing that he will surely become a great 
nation, and all the people of the earth shall be blessed 
in him. For I know him that he will command his 
children and his household after him, and they shall 
keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment. 

. . — Genesis xviii. //, 18. 



'"YYlHAT presents will you give to the children ? Give 
them first and before everything else, so that they 
can carry it with them their whole lives long, the memory 
of a happy home. More than any other inheritance is this, 
if you wish to keep the children loyal to you, loyal to 
the heavenly Father, loyal to the highest and sweetest 
and finest things of life. Create for them day by day 

283 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

and hour by hour such an atmosphere of blessedness in 
the home that they shall carry it with them as their 
most precious treasure throughout all their lives and all 
round the world. No boy, no girl, can ever come to be 
utterly bad who remembers only love and tenderness 
and unselfishness and sweetness as associated with 
father and mother in the old-time home. Give them 
manly and womanly example, give them training, give 
them the inspiration of devoted lives, give them these 
higher, deeper things. Do not care so much as to 
whether you are accumulating money, so that you 
can leave them a fortune. I really believe that the 
chances are against that's being a blessing for a boy. 
But leave them an accumulated fortune of memories 
and inspirations and examples and hopes, so that they 
are rich in brain and heart and soul and service. Then, 
if you happen to leave them the fortune besides, if they 
have all these, the fortune will be shorn of its possibil- 
ities of evil, and will become an instrument of higher 
and nobler good. Minot J. Savage. 

3F Thou shouldst bless our home with wealth, 
Let not the world creep in by stealth 
And take away the blessing ; 
For if our hearts should empty be 
Of meekness and humility, 
Although all else possessing, 
We should miss 
That true bliss 
Which not all the world's vast treasure 
Can supply in smallest measure. 

284 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XI. Z§t ^tart's Contentment. 



Better is a handful with quietness, than both the 
hands full with travail and vexation of spirit. — 
Ecclesiastes iv. 6. 



T^HE virtue of content does indeed produce, in some 
measure, all the effects which the alchemist 
usually ascribes to what he calls the philosopher's 
stone; and if it does not bring riches, it does the same 
thing by banishing the desire of them. If it cannot 
remove the disquietudes arising out of a man's mind, 
body or fortune, it makes him easy under them. It has 
indeed a kindly influence on the soul of man in respect 
to every being to whom he stands related. It extin- 
guishes all murmur, repining and ingratitude towards 
that Being who has allotted to him his part to act in the 
world. It gives sweetness to his conversations, and a 
perpetual serenity to all his thoughts. . . . Among 
the many methods which might be made use of for the 
acquiring of that virtue, I shall mention the two follow- 
ing: First of all, a man should always consider how 
much he has more than he wants; and secondly, how 
much more unhappy he might be than he is. 

Addison. 

^"TIERE'S many a gem in the path of life, 
^^ Which we pass in our idle pleasure, 
That is richer far than the jewelled crown 
Or the miser's hoarded treasure ; 

285 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

It may be the love of a little child, 

Or the mother's prayer to Heaven, 
Or only a beggar's grateful thanks, 

For a cup of water given. 

yJVRAVE on thy heart each past "red-letter day" ! 
^*"^ Forget not all the sunshine of the way 
By which the Lord hath led thee ; answered prayers, 
And joys unasked, strange blessings, lifted cares, 
Grand promise-echoes ! Thus thy life shall be 
One record of His love and faithfulness to thee. 

XII. Considerate Jfcpeec^ 

A man has joy by the answer of his mouth ; and a 
word in season — O, how good it is ! — Proverbs xv. 2J> 

Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop; 
but a good word maketh it glad. — Proverbs xii. 25. 



OfrNOTHER rule is not to let familiarity swallow up 
V- all courtesy. Many of us have a habit of saying 
to those with whom we live such things as we say about 
strangers behind their backs. There is no place where 
real politeness is of more value than where we mostly 
think it would be superfluous. You may say more 
truth, or rather speak out more plainly, to your asso- 
ciates, but not less courteously than you do to strangers. 

Sir Arthur Helps. 

^[VjORDS are mighty, words are living : 

*™ Serpents with their venomous stings, 
Or bright angels crowding round us, 
With Heaven's light upon their wings ; 

286 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Every word has its own spirit, 

True or false, that never dies ; 
Every word man's lips have utter 

Echoes in God's skies. 

/JT\ WISDOM ! if thy soft control 
^■^ Can soothe the sickness of the soul, 
Can bid the warring passions cease, 
And breathe the calm of tender peace : 
Wisdom ! I bless thy gentle sway, 
And ever, ever will obey. 

XIII. Z§t £teofofb Cenbencg in (Wan. 

Love and hatred, both tend to make us pass the 
line of justice. — Talmud. 



AVI AN has an unlucky tendency in his evil hour, after 
^- having received an injury, to rake together all the 
moon-spots on his antagonist, and thus change a single 
deed into a whole life, so as to relish more fully the 
pleasure of wrath. Fortunately with regard to love he 
has the opposite tendency — that of pressing together 
all the lights, all the rays emitted from the beloved 
object, by the burning-glass of his imagination, into one 
focus, and making of them one radiant sun without any 
spots. But, alas ! man too often does so when his be- 
loved one — yes, often blamed one — has passed beyond 
the cloudy sky of his life. Now, in order that we act 
thus sooner and oftener, we ought weekly or daily 
dedicate and sanctify a solitary time to the reckoning 

287 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

up of all the virtues of one's own wife, children, 
friends, and contemplating them then in a beautiful 
collection, and do so now and always, that we may not 
pardon and love in vain and too late, after the beloved 
one has been taken from us to a better world. 

Jean Paul F. Richter. 

iJfNFT, unknowingly, the tongue 
^■^ Touches on a chord so aching 
That a word or accent wrong 

Pains the heart almost to breaking. 
Many a tear of wounded pride, 

Many a fault of human blindness, 
Has been soothed or turned aside 

By a voice of quiet kindness. 

xiv. £ef 3* (J***. 

I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose 
mouth there are no reproofs. For in thee, O Lord, 
do I hope ; Thou wilt hear, O Lord, my God. — 
Psalms xxxviii. 14, ij. 

Take no heed unto all the words that are spoken. 
Ecclesiastes vii. 21* 



'* IjET it Pass! " Oh, how many souls, on the point 
of being disturbed and troubled, these simple 
words have left serene and peaceful! Something has 
wounded us by its want of delicacy. " Let it pass "; 
no one will think any more of it. A painful report is 
going to separate us from an old friend. " Let it pass," 

288 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

and we will preserve the peace of our souls and holy 
charity. A bitter or unjust word irritates us. " Let it 
pass "; he from whom it escaped will be only too happy 
to see that we have forgotten it. How is it that we are 
so careful to remove the thorns from our path lest they 
should wound us, and yet we can take pleasure in gath- 
ering and burying in our hearts the thorns that we en- 
counter in the family circle? Surely, we are very un- 
reasonable. 

Golden Sands. 

^VjHATEVER thou doest, never grieve thy brother; 
*^ Nor kindle fumes of wrath his peace to smother. 
Dost thou desire to taste eternal bliss ? 
Vex thine own heart, but never vex another. — Omar Khayim. 

Thus, if we 
Seek only to draw forth the hidden sweet 
In all the varied human flowers we meet 
In all the wide garden of humanity, 
And, like the bee, if home the spoil we bear, 
Hived in our hearts it turns to nectar there. 

XV. gome;(J)ofttene06. 

Happy the man that findeth wisdom, and the man 
that getteth understanding. . . . Their ways are ways 
of pleasantness, and all their paths are peace. — Prov- 
erbs Hi. 13, ij. 



*lT deserves notice that almost any one can be courte- 
** ous and forbearing and patient in a neighbor's 
house. If anything go wrong, or be out of time, or 

289 



SUN AND SHIELD, 

disagreeable there, it is made the best of, not the worst; 
even efforts are made to excuse it, and to show that it 
is not felt; or, if felt, it is attributed to accident, not 
design; and this is not only easy, but natural in the 
house of a friend. I will not, therefore, believe that 
what is so natural in the house of another is impossible 
at home; but maintain, without fear, that all the cour- 
tesies of social life may be upheld in domestic societies. 
A husband as willing to be pleased at home, and as 
anxious to please, as in his neighbor's house; and a wife 
as intent on making things comfortable every day to 
her family as on set days to her guests, could not fail 
to make their own home happy. 

3 LIVE for those who love me, 
For those I know are true, 
For the Heaven that smiles above me, 

And awaits my spirit too ; 
For all human ties that bind me, 
For the task my God assigned me, 
For the bright hopes left behind me, . 
And the good that I can do. 

XVI. Zfy <£fotg of fdi^fttfttew. 

The brave woman rises while it is yet night, and 
giveth meat to her household and their portions to 
her maidens ; she layeth her hands to the spindle and 
holdeth the distaff. . . . — Proverbs xxxi, jj, ig. 



Tf-'AKE the grandest of human callings and detail its 

routine ; people will turn away from it as from a 

dull story. And yet one may take the smallest calling, 

290 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the meanest occupation, the most matter-of-course duty 
and shed on it the beautiful light of the ideal world, the 
glory of religion ; and behold, as every dewdrop becomes 
a diamond when the morning comes over the hills, as 
every bit of mica flashes like a pearl when the sunshine 
strikes it, so this little atom of duty, care, toil, trouble, 
becomes a gem when touched by the light of this prin- 
ciple. O. B. Frothingham. 



to 



HENE'ER a noble deed is wrought, 
Whene'er is spoken a noble thought, 
Our hearts in glad surprise 
To higher levels rise. 



yJ^IVER of holy words, 
^■^ Bestow Thy holy power ; 
And aid me, whether work or thought, 
Engage the varying hour. 

In Thee have I my help, 

As all my fathers had, 
I'll trust Thee when I'm sorrowful, 

And serve Thee when I'm glad. 

¥ 

XVII. £earn to <£nbure. 



They also that erred in spirit shall come to under- 
standing, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine. 
— Isaiah xxix. 24. 



/\V| Y son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy 
^- soul for trial. Set thy heart aright, and con- 
stantly endure and be not hasty in thy thoughts in time 
of trouble. Cleave unto Him, and depart not away 



291 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

that thou mayest be rewarded at thy last end. What- 
soever is brought upon thee take cheerfully, and be 
patient when thou art brought to a low estate. For 
gold is tried in the fire and acceptable men in the fur- 
nace of adversity. ... Ye that fear the Lord wait 
for His mercy and hope for good and everlasting joy. 
Woe is to fearful hearts, and faint hands, and the sinner 
who is double-dealing. They that fear the Lord will 
prepare their hearts and humble their souls in His 
sight, saying : We will fall into the hands of the Lord 
and not into the hands of men, for, as His majesty is, so 
is His mercy. Ecclesiasticus. 

T^HOU who sendest sun and rain, 
^^ Thou who spendest bliss and pain, 
Good with bounteous hand bestowing, 
Evil for Thy Will allowing : 
Though Thy Ways we cannot see, 
All is just that comes from Thee. 

¥ 

xviii. father <xti> (Wofflet. 

Ye shall reverence everyone his father and his 
mother, and keep my Sabbaths ; I am the Lord, your 
God. — Leviticus xix. j>. 

The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth 
his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out \ 
the young eagles shall eat it. — Proverbs xxx, ij. 



T^HE Lord hath given the father honor over the 

children and hath established the authority of the 

mother over the sons. Whoso honoreth his father 

293 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

maketh an atonement for his sins, and he that honoreth 
his mother is as one that layeth up treasure ; he shall 
have joy in his own children and when he maketh his 
prayer, he shall be heard ; and he that is obedient unto 
the Lord shall be a comfort to his mother. The bless- 
ing of the father establisheth the houses of children, but 
the curse of the mother rooteth out foundations. The 
glory of a man is from the honor of his father ; in the 
day of affliction it shall be remembered to him ; his sins 
also shall melt away as the ice in the fair, warm 
weather. Ecclesiasticus. 

p^H ! blessed are they for whom, 'mid all their pains, 

\VV That faithful and unaltcr'd love remains ; 

Who, life wrecked round them, hunted from their rest — 

And by all else forsaken or distressed, 

Claim in one heart their sanctuary and shrine, 

As I, my mother, claimed my place in thine. 

Mrs. Norton. 

¥ 

XIX. forefathers. 

Righteousness is immortal. — Eeclesiasticus j. 

Remember the days of old, consider the years of 
many generations ; ask thy father and he will show 
thee, thy elders and they will tell thee. — Deuteronomy 
xxxii. y. 



^ET us now praise renowned men, in whom the Lord 

manifested His great glory, even His mighty 

power from the beginning ; amongst them such as did 



293 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

bear rule and were men renowned for their power, giv- 
ing counsel by their understanding, who have brought 
tidings in prophecy ; leaders of the people by their 
counsels and men of learning for the nation ; such as 
thought out musical tunes and set forth verses in 
writing ; rich men furnished with ability, living peace- 
ably in their habitations. All these were honored in 
their generations and were a glory in their days. They 
were men of mercy whose righteous deeds have not 
been forgotten. With their offspring shall remain con- 
tinually a good inheritance. Their bodies were buried 
in peace and their names live to all generations. 
Peoples will declare their wisdom and the congregation 
of Israel telleth out their praise. Ecclesiasticus. 

/ftfOD'S doors are men, the Pariah kind 
j*^ Admits thee to the perfect mind. 

fj, IVES of great men all remind us, 
<^* We can make our lives sublime, 
And, departing, leave behind us, 

Footprints on the sands of time, — 
Footprints, that perhaps another, 

Sailing o'er life's solemn main, 
Some forelorn and shipwrecked brother, 

Seeing, shall take heart again. 

xx. Zfc ©eab. 

Thou wilt show me the path of life : in Thy pres- 
ence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand are delights 
for evermore. — Psalm xvi. if. 

294 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/JfNUR dead are like the stars by day, 

Withdrawn from mortal eye, 
Yet holding unperceived their way 
Through the unclouded sky. 

By them through holy hope and love 

We feel in hours serene, 
Connected with a world above, 

Immortal and unseen. 

Though death his sacred seal hath set 

On bright and bygone hours, 
Still more we love are with us yet, 

Are more than ever ours ; — 

Ours by the pledge of love and faith 

By hopes of heaven on high, 
By trust triumphant over death 

In immortality. 

Those who have lived a holy life, when they are 
freed from this earth and set at large, as it were, from 
a prison will arrive at a pure abode and live without 
bodies through all future time. They will arrive at 
habitations more beautiful than can be described. 

—Plato. 

¥ 

XXI. Ctansftgurafton of ©eaf#. 

Precious, in the eyes of the Lord, is the death of 
His saints. — Psalms cxvi. ij. 



HtoHEREFORE, O judges, be of good cheer about 
death, and know of a certainty that no evil can 



295 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

happen to a good man, either in life or after death. 
He and his are not neglected by the gods; nor has my 
own approaching end happened by mere chance. But 
I see clearly that the time has arrived when it was 
better for me to die and be released from trouble; 
wherefore the oracle gave no sign. For which reason, 
also, I am not angry with my condemners, or with my 
accusers; they have done me no harm, although they 
did not mean to do me any good; and for this I may 
gently blame them. Still I have a favor to ask of them. 
When my sons are grown up, I would ask you, O my 
friends, to punish them, and I would have you trouble 
them, as I have troubled you, if they seem to care about 
riches, or anything, more than about virtue ; or if they 
pretend to be something when they are really nothing, 
— then reprove them, as I have reproved you, for not 
caring about that which they ought to care, and think- 
ing that they are something when they are really noth- 
ing. And if you do this, both I and my sons will have 
received justice at your hands. 

The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our 
ways — I to die and you to live. Which is better God 
only knows. Socrates Plato. 

DEATH. 

f\S OUGHT but a step into the open air 

w Out of a tent already luminous 

With light, that shines through its transparent folds. 

Longfellow. 

296 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



xxii. tU &ttvwx< (gtmx'b. 



Thy light shall break forth as the morning . . . 
and thy righteousness shall go before thee and the 
glory of God shall be thy rearward. — Isaiah Iviii. S. 



ON THE RELIGIOUS MEMORY OF 
CATHERINE THOMSON. 
'\YlHEN faith and love which parted from thee never 

Had ripened thy just soul to dwell with God, 
Meekly thou didst resign this earthly load 

Of death, called life, which us from life doth sever. 
Thy works and alms and all thy good endeavor 

Stayed not behind, nor in the grave were trod; 
But, as faith pointed with her golden rod, 

Followed thee up to joy and bliss for ever. 
Love led them on, and Faith, who knew them best, 

Thy handmaids, clad them o'er with purple beams 
And azure wings that up they flew so drest, 

And spoke the truth on thee on glorious themes, 
Before the Judge; who, thenceforth, bid thee rest 
And drink thy fill of pure immortal streams. 

John Milton. 

To make some nook of God's creation a little 
fruitfuller, better, more worthy of God; to make 
some human heart a little wiser, manfuller, happier, 
more blessed, less accursed — it is a work for a god. 

— Carlyle. 

In the mind of a man that is chastened and 
purified thou wilt find nothing foul, impure, or any 
sore skinned over ; nor will fate ever overtake him in 

297 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

a state of being that is imperfect, as may happen to a 
tragic actor who leaves the stage before he has fin- 
ished his part. — M. Aurelius. 

XXIII. Zfc Cflifcren'e (praise of <£ob. 

The generations to come should know the Com- 
mandments of the Lord ; even the children that shall 
be born ; who should arise and declare them to their 
children, that they might set their hope in God and 
not forget the works of God and His Commandments. 
— Psalms Ixxviii. 6, 7. 



IfyEARKEN unto me, ye pious children and bud forth 
-^ as roses growing by a brook of water ; and give ye 
a sweet savor as frankincense, and put forth flowers as 
a lily; and sing a song of praise. Bless ye the Lord, for 
all His works magnify His name, and give utterance to 
His praise with the songs of your lips, and with harps, 
and thus shall ye say when ye utter His praise : 

All the works of the Lord are exceeding good, and 
every command of His shall be accomplished in His 
season. None can say, what is this ? wherefore is that ? 
For in His season they shall all be sought out. At His 
command is all His good pleasure does and there is 
none that shall hinder His good pleasure done and there 
is none that shall hinder His salvation. The works of 
all flesh are before him and it is not possible to be hid 
from His eyes. His ways are plain unto the holy, 
but they are stumbling-blocks unto the wicked. Good 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

things are created from the beginning for the good, so 
are evil things for sinners; and now with all your heart 
and mouth sing ye praises and bless the name of the 
Lord. Ecclesiasticus. 

jITEAR the happy hymn we raise, 
J~J Take the love which is Thy praise. 
Give content to each condition, 
Bend our hearts in sweet submission ; 
And Thy trusting children prove 
Worthy of the Father's Love. 

¥ 

XXIV. $yx$pinm— tiStnuint dnb Jsfcpuriou*. 

And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from 
them, I withheld not my heart from any joy. , . . 
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had 
wrought, and on the labor that I had labored to do : 
and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and 
there was no profit under the sun. — Eccksiastes ii. 
10, IT. 



T^RUE happiness is of a retired nature and an enemy 
to pomp and noise : it arises, in the first place, 
from the enjoyment of one's self ; and, in the next, from 
the friendship and conversation of a few select com- 
panions ; it loves shade and solitude, and naturally 
haunts groves and fountains, fields and meadows ; in 
short, it feels everything it wants within itself and 
receives no addition from multitudes of witnesses and 



2Q9 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

spectators. On the contrary, false happiness loves to 
be in a crowd and to draw the eyes of the world upon 
her. She does not receive any satisfaction from the 
applause which she gives herself, but from the admira- 
tion which she raises in others. She flourishes in courts 
and assemblies, and has no existence but when she is 
looked upon. Addison. 

HjYlHEN my heart was vex'd with care, 
Filled with fears well-nigh despair ; 
When, with watching many a night, 
On me fell pale sickness' blight ; 

When my courage fail'd me fast, 

Camest Thou, my God, at last, 

And my woes were quickly past. 

^ EARN to be content, and thou wilt have 
jE* little to repent. 

XXV. Q5e not #effh$ in tfy §oxtoi». 

My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expecta- 
tion is from Him. — Psalms Ixii. j. 



'YVlHAT will you do with your losses and your sorrows ? 
If you have lost a friend, remember that it was a 
blessed gift that you had that friend, — appreciate that. 
And then take this loss into your heart as a great power 
to soften, to make sympathetic, to turn into tenderness, 
the whole current of your life. The noblest men and 
women I have ever known have been those who have 



300 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

lost, who had suffered. There is nothing like sympathy 
in this direction to make us appreciate the low, sad 
music of humanity, to make us enter into the needs of 
those with whom we come in contact every day, and to 
give us power to help, to brighten, to cheer, and to 
make strong. Let us not be selfish in our sorrow. Let 
us not imagine that nobody else ever had a sorrow so 
bitter as ours. Nothing has happened, nothing can 
happen, to us that has not happened a thousand times 
before to somebody else. Let us, then, share this com- 
mon lot of man with patience, with trust ; and let us 
make these losses, this pain in our hearts, the deep- 
down springs and fountains of the finest and sweetest 
and best things in all our lives, and then let us look up, 
and believe that even the losses are not losses. If God 
is, and if all the accumulated trusts and hopes of all the 
world are not liars, then no love ever has or ever can 
lose its own. Minot J. Savage. 

AETHER refuge have I none : 

^■^ Hangs my helpless soul on Thee ; 

Leave, ah ! leave me not alone, 

Still support and comfort me ! 
All my trust on Thee is stay'd, 

All my help from Thee I bring ; 
Cover my defenseless head 

With the shadow of Thy wing. 

¥ 

XXVI. <Benffe (Rufe. 

She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and in her 
tongue is the law of kindness. — Proverbs xxxi. 26. 

301 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

q|%E not as a lion in thy house, nor frantic among thy 
^^ servants, whereas thy servant worketh truly, en- 
treat him not evil, nor the hireling that bestoweth him- 
self for thee. Let thy soul love a good servant and 
defraud him not of liberty. Ecclesiasticus. 

The manner of saying or of doing anything goes a 
great way in the value of the thing itself. It was well 
said of him that called a good office done harshly and 
with an ill-will, a stony piece of bread ; it is necessary 
for him who is hungry to receive it, but it almost chokes 
a man in the going down. Seneca. 

All usefulness and all comfort may be prevented by 
an unkind, a sour, crabbed temper of mind, — a mind 
that can bear with no difference of opinion or tempera- 
ment. A spirit of fault-finding; an unsatisfied temper; 
a constant irritability; little inequalities in the look, the 
temper, or the manner ; a brow cloudy and dissatisfied 
— your husband or your wife cannot tell why — will more 
than neutralize all the good you can do, and render life 
anything but a blessing. Albert Barnes. 

rVjOU can never tell when you send a word — 
f£j Like an arrow shot from a bow 
By an archer blind — be it cruel or kind, 

Just where it will chance to go. 
It may pierce the breast of your dearest friend, , 

Tipped with poison or balm ; 
To a stranger's heart in life's great mart 

It may carry its pain or its calm. 

302 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXVII. £0e gomeefeab. 



And Jacob vowed a vow, saying : If God will be 
with me and will keep me in His way that I go, and 
will give me bread to it, and raiment to put on, so 
that I come again to my father's house again in peace, 
then shall the Lord be my God, and this stone which 
I have set for a pillar shall be God's house. . . ♦ 
— Genesis xxviii. 20, 21. 



IkOW our hearts have thrilled, and always will thrill, 
-^ as we contemplate that scene, — the wandering - of 
the famous ten thousand Greeks under the leadership 
of Xenophon ; how, after their wanderings and battles 
in foreign lands, struggling to get home once more, 
they climb at last the hill-tops, and shout with a voice 
that has echoed in the romantic imagination of the 
world's literature ever since, and that finds its response 
still in our hearts: "Thalassa! thalassa!" — "The sea! 
the sea!" — because beyond the sea was home; these 
were waters with which they were familiar. And so 
their hearts rejoiced, and their voices shouted that joy 
on the air. However trite it may be, however much 
worn to our thought or feeling, there is still a tender 
place in every heart for the familiar song of John 
Howard Payne: — 

" 'Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam, 
Be it ever so humble, there's no place like home ! 
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there, 
Which, seek through the world, is ne'er met with elsewhere. 

303 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

" An exile from home, splendor dazzles in vain. 
Oh, give me my lowly thatched cottage again ! 
The birds singing gaily > that came at my call, — 
Give me them, — and the peace of mind dearer than all ! " 

It is because these simple words touch the heart of 
humanity that America was not content until he who 
wrote them had been brought from over the sea, from 
his grave in a foreign country, that he might at least 
find final rest in the home of which he had sung so well. 
So the whole country rose up to welcome his uncon- 
scious remains, as they came to sleep in his native soil. 

Minot J. Savage. 

XXVIII. Zfc Jgomes&dttb. 

Happy art thou, O Israel, 

Who is like unto thee, a people saved by the Lord, 

The shield of thy help ! 

Thy excellency is thy sword, 

Thy enemies shall submit themselves to thee, 

And thou shalt tread upon their high places. 

— Deuteronomy xxxiii. 2g. 

^HE last words spoken by Moses, the man of God! 
Altho' coming from dying lips, they are not sad 
nor regretful; they are joyous, triumphant. If we com- 
pare our nation to Israel, we simply follow the example 
of the Pilgrim Fathers; and so we may say: Happy art 
thou, O America ! who is like unto thee, a people saved 
by the Lord, the shield of thy help ! 

3°4 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

" We are a happy people," contented to live under the 
protection of our fundamental law. Too often men 
learn to value a blessing only after they have lost it ; but 
we need not the shock of reverses to have our eyes 
opened to our favored condition. If anything, we 
incline to an over-confidence that our good fortune will 
last for ever, that we need fear no hostility. Without 
doubt, the sum of human happiness is greater among 
the seventy millions gathered under the Stars and 
Stripes than among an equal number in any part of the 
globe. Even the malcontents, even those who make a 
trade or a creed of their dissatisfaction, would rather 
hug their ill-temper here than elsewhere. This is not 
due to what is ironically called a paternal government. 
Any attempt at such would be at once resisted. The 
principal protection an American citizen needs is that 
his elbow room be not unduly restricted. For the rest, 
he prefers to be his own President, and is most pleased 
when he sees the chosen head of the nation attend strictly 
to the duties of his office, as defined by our constitution. 
The vision of the seer stands before us a reality and it 
is one in which all lovers of liberty and justice have 
reason to rejoice. G. G. 



^frND thus to Heaven our pleading accents call, 
VJl/ May wrong and strife among us disappear ; 
And when their sacred rights are given to all, 
May truth and love lead in a golden year. 



305 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XXIX. Eeeifg, * Jbe to Cfleerfufneee. 

A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; 
but by sorrow of the heart, the spirit is broken — ■ 
Proverbs xv. ij. 



Q^ETWEEN Levity and Cheerfulness there is a wide 
^~ distinction ; and the mind which is most open to 
levity is frequently a stranger to cheerfulness. It has 
been remarked that transports of intemperate mirth are 
often no more than flashes from the dark cloud; and 
that in proportion to the violence of the effulgence is 
the succeeding gloom, Levity may be the forced pro- 
duction of folly or vice ; cheerfulness is the natural off- 
spring of wisdom and virtue alone. The one is an occa- 
sional agitation, the other a permanent habit. The one 
degrades the character; the other is perfectly consistent 
with the dignity of reason and the steady and manly 
spirit of religion. To aim at a constant succession of 
high and vivid sensations of pleasure is an idea of 
happiness perfectly chimerical. Calm and temperate 
enjoyment is the utmost that is allowed to man. 
Beyond this we struggle in vain to raise our state; and, 
in fact, depress our joys by endeavoring to heighten 
them. Hugh Blair. 

Partake only of such joys as may have a joyful 
remembrance, Berthold Auerbach. 

306 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

^VjHY thus longing, thus for ever sighing 
^^ For the far-off, unattained, and dim ; 
While the beautiful, all round thee lying, 

Offers up its low, perpetual hymn ? 
Would'st thou listen to its gentle teaching, 

All thy restless yearning it would still. 
Leaf and flower and laden bee are preaching 

Thine own sphere, though humble, first to fill. 



XXX. <B»oofcne00 of ^mt, f0e QSeaufifter. 

He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor ; 
but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come upon him. 
— Proverbs xi. 27. 

Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop ; 
but a good word maketh it glad. — Proverbs xii. 25. 



Tj^HE power of manners is incessant — an element as 
unconcealable as fire. . . . There are certain 
manners which are learned in good society, of that force 
that, if a person have them, he or she must be con- 
sidered, and is everywhere welcome, though without 
beauty, wealth, or genius. They must always show 
self-control ; you shall not be facile, apologetic, or leaky, 
but king over your word; and every gesture and action 
shall indicate power at rest. Then they must be 
inspired by the good heart. There is no beautifier of 
complexion, or form, or behavior, like the wish to scat- 
ter joy and not pain around us. 'Tis good to give a 
stranger a meal or a night's lodging. 'Tis better to be 

3°7 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

hospitable to his good meaning and thought, and give 
courage to a companion. We must be as courteous to 
a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to 
give the advantage of a good light. Special precepts 
are not to be thought of; the talent of well-doing con- 
tains them all. Emerson. 

/%j^UT as we meet and touch each day 
\+2> The many travellers on our way, 
Let every such brief contact be 
A glorious, helpful ministry. 



308 



$at&a$. 



God blessed the Seventh Day and hallowed it. 

— Genesis. 

To-day is Sabbath ; forego all mourning and all 
signs of mourning. — Pharisaic. 

Into the mind, filled with the sacred joy of the 
Sabbath, cometh a higher soul from above. — Jewish 
Kabbalists. 

The first creature of God in the works of the days 
was the light of sense, the last was the light of rea- 
son ; and His Sabbath work since is the illumination 
of the spirit. — Bacon, 



309 



(pt(Xinc of (Bob in t^e JJtgfleet 

Thou, O Lord, hast made me to rejoice through 
Thy work ; how great are they and how deep are Thy 
thoughts. — Psalms xcii. 4, 3, 



/ftTOD, the Lord over all works, blessed be He 

And ever to be blessed by the voice of every soul ! 
His Greatness and His Goodness fill the universe ; 

Knowledge and understanding are around Him. 
He is exalted above the Holy Creatures 

And adorned in glory above the Celestial Chariot. 
Purity and rectitude are before His throne, 

Mercy and Compassion in His glorious presence. 
Good are the luminaries which our God has made, 

He formed them with knowledge, understanding and 
discernment. 
He gave them might and strength to rule in the world. 

They are full of lustre and radiate brightness, 
Beautiful in their shining from end to end. 

They rejoice in their going forth, and are glad in their 
coming in, 
And yet with awe accomplish the will of their Maker. 

They render honor and glory to His name 
And shout for joy at the remembrance of sovereignty. 

He called unto the sun and he shone forth in light; 



3" 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

He willed and ordained the changes of the moon. 

All the hosts on high render praise to Him, 
Both Seraphim and Ophanim and the Holy Creatures 
Sing to Him who perfected His glorious works, 
And sanctified the Sabbath 
And called it a delight to the sons of man. 

Ancient Hebrew Hymnus. 

Tr. G. G. 

II. Jafdm— ^urrenber to <B>ob. 

^N the name of the merciful and compassionate God. 
*J Praise belongs to God, the Lord of the worlds, 
the merciful, the compassionate, the ruler of the day of 
judgment! Thee we serve and Thee we ask for aid, 
Guide us in the right path, the path of those to whom 
Thou art gracious, not of those with whom Thou art 
wroth or of those who are astray. 

Opening Prayer of Koran. 

What God opens to men of His mercy, there is none 
to withhold, and what He withholds, there is none can 
send it forth after Him, for He is the Mighty, the Wise. 

Koran. 

J^ORD, let Thy fear within us dwell, 
P* Thy love our footsteps guide ; 
That love will all vain love expel, 
That fear all fear beside. 

Not what we wish, but what we want, 

Oh, let Thy grace supply : 
The good unasked in mercy grant, 

The ills, though asked, deny. 

312 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



III. Z§t <£oo of Our S>refaf0er6. 



Fear thou not, O Jacob, for I am with thee ; be not 
dismayed, for I am thy (iod; I will strengthen thee, 
yea, I will keep thee and uphold thee with the right 
hand of My righteousness. — Isaiah xli. 10. 



^HE thought of renouncing one's religion merely for 
the sake of being amiable and agreeing with those 
who, having no religion of their own, and not wishing 
to unite with any already in existence, desire a new 
religion, must be abhorrent both to pious and right- 
minded Jews and Christians. Such a surrender would 
be a silent admission that the Judaism for which our 
ancestors have stood for over 3,000 years was, after 
all, merely a temporary matter, a convenience of 
opinion, to be taken up and laid down like a cloak. 
No account is taken of real faith and honest conviction. 
No heed is given to a hereditary religious spirit that is 
bound up in certain definite creeds, and no attention is 
paid to a religious tradition that, in the course of ages, 
has grown and developed and become part of the flesh 
and blood of man. 

Religion grows out of human wants, is created by the 
heart's hunger for spiritual food, by the soul's longing 
for an authoritative master in the knowledge of truth, 
love, justice and mercy. Each individual has added to 
the religion of his family what his special needs prompt- 
ed ; each family has formed its particular home service ; 
each tribe individualized its religion ; each state or 

3*3 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

nation or people added its own peculiar creations that 
emanated from its own particular needs. 

Joseph Silverman. 

JJ^HOU art my God : to Thee alone 
^^ I will commend my cause ; 
Not glittering gold nor precious stone 
Shall make me leave Thy laws. 

O, teach me then the way 

Whereby I may 

Make Thee my only stay. 

My lips, my tongue, my heart and all 

Shall spread Thy mighty name ; 
My voice shall never cease to sound 
The praises of the same. 
Yea, every living thing 
Shall sweetly sing 
To Thee, O Heavenly King. 

¥ 

IV. Zfc TOtf ttB of (Uo40. 

For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken 
and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou 
wast refused, saith thy God. 

For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but 
with great mercies will I gather thee. 

In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a mo- 
ment ; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy 
on thee, saith the Lord, thy redeemer. 

For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me ; as I 
have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more 
go over the earth ; so have I sworn that I would not 
be wroth with thee. — Isaiah liv, 6, 7, 8, 9. 

3 T 4 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

TjT'HEY say: This is speaking of God as though He, 
like man, were swayed by varying moods and tem- 
pers — now of wrath and now of pity; now of anger and 
now of compassion. But remember, the Seer spoke not 
to philosophize about God and define His nature, but to 
console aud uplift a fallen nation. The land was deso- 
late, the Temple in ruins; the people, who had escaped 
from the sword, were either led into captivity or roam- 
ing in misery amongst ruins. And Israel said: God 
has turned His face from us and forsaken us utterly. 
The one need of the hour, then, was to raise up the 
fallen with new assurances of God's unfailing mer- 
cies, and, by examples of former experiences, plant new 
hope in hearts sunk in despair. Carried away by his pity, 
the Seer seized upon such thoughts and clothed them 
in such speech as would find their way to the heart 
of his nation and make them willing to listen to his 
message. Read them in this light — and you will have 
no heart, you will see no cause for cavil, rather you 
will 

fVEND your ear 

To God brought near 
By His servant's word, 

And gladly hear 
What bids depart 

All dread and fear, 
And falls like balm 

On bruised soul, 
And makes it strong and calm. G. G. 

3*5 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



V. &xtin$ on f0e <gi$t giU. 



For the Lord hath called thee, O Israel, as a wo- 
man is called that is forsaken and grieved in spirit ; 
and as a wife of youth, when she was refused. For a 
small moment have I forsaken thee ; but with great 
mercies will I gather thee. . , , — Isaiah liv, 6, J. 



<2T)OES an utterance like this indeed spring from an 
imperfect idea of God ? Only look behind the 
Oriental drapery and you will be satisfied that it is not 
so. What more worthy conception than this : Punish- 
ment is but like a momentary overflowing of wrath, 
whilst mercy is the abiding nature of God ; the one is 
transient, the other enduring; the one a means, the 
other an end; or, as the Psalmist sings, "His anger is 
but for a moment, His favor is for life." Goethe says: 
" The moment a man speaks, he errs "; if this be true 
generally, then surely, almost inevitably so, when he 
tries to describe the All-perfect! And suppose Isaiah 
erred, and erred greatly, in his way of speaking — he 
erred on the right side, on the side of mercy and com- 
passion ! Would that all our mistakes about God were 
of the same kind ! The darkest pages of human history 
and the most damaging evidence against religion would 
never have been written ! Rather a thousand times the 
errors of this great soul than the exactness of all the 
creeds known to man's unspeakable sorrow. G. G. 

3*6 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/A- ROM the recesses of a lowly spirit, 
\| Our humble prayer ascends ; O Father ! hear it, 
Upsoaring on the wings of awe and meekness ; 
Forgive its weakness ! 

We see Thy hand ; it leads us, it supports us ; 
We hear Thy voice ; it counsels and it courts us ; 
And then we turn away ; and still Thy kindness 
Forgives our blindness. 

¥ 

VI. (gmMon in gieforg. 



When I remember Thee upon my bed, and medi - 
tate on Thee in the night-watches, because Thou hast 
been my help, I will rejoice in the shadow of Thy 
wings, and my soul shall follow hard after Thee. 
Thy right hand upholdeth me. — Psatms Ixiii. 6, 8, 



Off LL history is but the aggregate of the history of m- 
^~ dividuals, and what is true of the one must also be 
true of the other; each man's life is a revelation of the 
Divine; nay, we can never understand any kind of God's 
revelations if we do not find the key to them in our own 
bosom. The Bible is best understood by those who make 
the book, a ' * lamp to their feet and a light on their path, ' ' 
when they trace back the way they have trod. They 
see plan and sequence in all events that have left thei r 
impress on their souls: success and failure, gain and 
loss, happiness and sorrow, all tended in one direc- 
tion, a fact they did not notice at the time of their hap- 
pening, but which they now clearly discern. They see 
in what they are, as much of the shaping of the 



3 T 7 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Invisible Master, as of their own doing. And in the 
silence of the inner soul they worship the living God, 
even if they utter no sound. Yea, they may speak with 
Him face to face, and say: 

4 4 f% EAD on, my God ; I follow Thee 
jS/ With willing step and trustful heart, 
Choose Thou, O God, for me my part, 
With tranquil soul I follow Thee." G. G. 

VII. (petBonaf (£e%ion. 

And Nathan said to David : Thou art the man ! 
II. Samuel xii. 7. 

Show me Thy ways, O Lord, teach me Thy paths ; 
lead me in Thy truth, for Thou art the God of my 
salvation ; on Thee do I wait all day. — Psalms xxv. 
4>S- 

Tj^HE difference between abstract and personal religion 
will always remain ; but the question for us to ask 
is, Is our religion sufficiently personal, — does it go deep 
into our motives, stir our deepest feelings, enter into 
our conscience, and influence our daily life ? 

My friends, it is impossible to have personal religion 
without fully realizing the personality of God. When 
God becomes personal, religion becomes personal, and 
worship becomes the sweetest and most indispensable 
work of the day. The finest ideals about God do not 
make religion. Even the finest poetry about God's 
nature does not make religion. Without personal 
religion how can there be spirituality ? Without a per- 

318 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

sonal God — a God who has a mind, who has a will, who 
has holiness, who can reward and bless, who can com- 
fort and overshadow and embrace us all — personal 
religion is impossible. 

Protap Chunder Mozoomdar. 
I. 
7j HOU, whose breast is rest 
^^ In the time of strife, 
In Thy secret breast 
Sheltering souls opprest 
From the heat of life. 

Thou, whose ways we praise, 

Clear alike and dark, 
Keep our works and ways, 
This and all our days 

Safe within Thine ark. 



VIII. Z§t Community of ^atnfe. 

To the saints that are in the earth and to the 
excellent is all my delight. — Psalms xvi. j. 



*t MAINTAIN that this simple religion which I have 
^ tried to lay before you has the power of absorbing 
to itself all the resources of all the great religions. 
Believing in nothing more complex than that God is, 
and that He is good, that He is near, and that He is 
loving; believing in nothing more complex than that 
you are my sisters, my brothers, and my friends, — I 
have the spiritual wealth of all the great religions that 
ever flourished. What is there in the enthusiasm and 



319 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

energy of Islam that I cannot accept ? What ails my 
liberal religion that I cannot assimilate that energy, 
that fidelity, that monotheistic influence, that obedience 
to the laws of God ? What ails me that I cannot assim- 
ilate the marvellous benevolence of Buddhism, — its 
self-conquest, its kindness to man and to beast alike, 
its tolerance, its equality of men and women, its poverty 
and simplicity ? What is the matter with my simple 
theistic principles that I cannot absorb the wonderful 
insight of the Hindu into the spiritual constitution of 
the universe ? Why should I not learn from him. that 
introspection by which in his own soul he beholds the 
glorious manifestation of his supreme Brahma ? 

Protap Chunder Mozoomdar. 
II. 

T^HOU, the Word and Lord 
^^ In all time and space, 
Heard, beheld, adored 
With all ages poured 
Forth before thy face. 

Thou whose face gives grace 

As the sun doth heat, 
Let Thy sun-bright face 
Lighten time and space 

Here beneath Thy feet. 

IX (gi£0feou0tte00 <x QSfeBBtn^ for (&E 

I will get them praise and fame in every iand 
where they have been put to shame . . . for I 
will make you a name and a praise among all people 
of the earth when I turn back your captivity before 
your eyes. — Zephaniah iiu 19, 20. 
320 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

OftS for our customs, there is no nation which always 
^ makes use of the same customs, and in every city 
almost we meet with different ones; but justice is most 
for the advantage of all men equally, both Greeks and 
Barbarians: to this our laws pay the greatest regard, 
and so render us, if we observe them rightly, benevo- 
lent and friendly to all men, on which account we have 
reason to expect the like return from others — nor ought 
they to esteem difference of institutions a sufficient 
cause of alienation, but should look rather to virtue and 
probity, for this belongs to all men in common and is 
sufficient of itself alone for the preservation of human 
life. 



The Jewish nation is, by their Law, a stranger to all 
such things (erecting statues and temples to men); they 
are accustomed to prefer righteousness to glory; for 
which reason that nation was not agreeable to Herod, 
because it was out of their power to flatter the king's 
ambition with statues or temples or any other such 
thing. Flavius Josephus. 

/NVUTHOR of being, source of light, 
syjr With unfading beauties bright ; 
Fulness, goodness, rolling round 
Thy own fair orb without a bound : 
Whether Thy suppliants call 
Truth, or Good, or One, or All, 
Grecian or Barbaric name, 
Thy steadfast being is all the same. 

321 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



X. (ReaeonaBfe Contentment 



The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places ; 
yea, I have a goodly heritage. I will bless the Lord 
who hath given me counsel ; my inward part instructs 
me in the night time. — Psalms xvi. 6, y. 



*tF we wish to gain contentment, we might try such 
^ rules as these : — 

i. Allow thyself to complain of nothing, not even of 
the weather. 

2. Never picture thyself to thyself under any circum- 
stances in which thou art not. 

3. Never compare thine own lot with that of another. 

4. Never allow thyself to dwell on the wish that this 
or that had been, or were, otherwise than it was, or is. 
God Almighty loves thee better and more wisely than 
thou dost thyself. 

5. Never dwell on the morrow. Remember that it 
is God's, not thine. The heaviest part of sorrow often 
is to look forward to it. " The Lord will provide." 

E. B. Pusey. 

^JTERE let me pause, the quest forego ; 
Jmj Enough for me to feel and know, 
That He in whom the cause and end, 
The past and future meet and blend — 
Speaks not alone the words of fate, 
Which worlds destroy, and worlds create ; 
But whispers in my spirit's ear, 
In tones of love, or warning fear, 
A language none beside me hear. 

322 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

XI. (Reef (Unoer f0e §$titoi» of ^ie TEtng. 



Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and caus- 
est to approach unto Thee that he may dwell in Thy 
courts : we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy 
house, even of Thy holy Temple. — Psalms Ixv. 4. 



% 



OW good it is to wander in Thy way, 
How beautiful upon Thy path to stay. 

There is no slip, no falling there 
The course runs on without a bending. 
Then will I walk Thy way fore'er 
My song of praises to Thee sending. 

Thou art my hope, my aim in everything, 
The anchor of my heart, of life the spring. 

I yearn Thee in Thy light to see, 
Yet such beseems not me, poor mortal. 
When fain my heart would be near Thee, 
I step within Thy temple's portal. 

Jehudah Halevi. 

God has made the heart of man to long after Him- 
self, to be satisfied indeed with nothing else in the 
whole universe short of seeing Him in all the beauty of 
His holiness and love, and being bound to Him in ten- 
derest and closest communion. No earthly good or 
pleasure ever really satisfies the cravings of the human 
heart. There is still unrest and mortification and fail- 
ure, not so bad perhaps as to make us cry out in the 

323 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

language of Ecclesiastes, " All is vanity and vexation 
of spirit," but bad enough to make us feel that we were 
born for far higher happiness, and for a far nobler end 
than for this world's good, or for mere pleasure. And 
this it is which gives the proof to what I affirmed, viz. : 
that God has made us for the enjoyment of Himself, 
has so constituted us by nature that nothing but Him- 
self can ever satisfy our hearts' desire. 

Charles Voysey. 
¥ 

XII. ©iecotb dnb (glccorb. 

I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, 
and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Let, 
I pray Thee, Thy merciful kindness be for my com- 
fort, according to Thy word unto Thy servant. — 
Psalms cxix. 75, j6. 



Oj^S musicians sometimes go through perplexing mazes 
>-* of discord in order to come to the inexpressible 
sweetness of aftercords, so men's discord of trouble 
and chromatic jars, if God be their leader, are only pre- 
paring for a resolution into such harmonious strains as 
could never have been raised except upon such under- 
tones. Most persons are more anxious to stop their 
sorrow than to carry it forward to its choral outburst. 
" Now, no chastening for the present seemeth to be 
joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterwards, it yield- 
eth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them that 
are exercised thereby. ,, 

Henry W. Beecher. 

324 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Behold, I will bring them health and cure, and I 
will cure them; and will reveal unto them the abun- 
dance of peace and truth. — Jeremiah xxxiii. 6. 



TTlHEN the spirit, worn and weary, 

'Neath its daily load of care, 
Treads the pathway long and dreary, 

And the burden hard to bear ; 
Tired with hoping, faint and fearing, 

Sighs to reach the golden gate : 

Then in accents soft and cheering. 
Patience whispers, " Only wait ; 
For a brighter day is dawning, 
Joy awaits us in the morning — 
In the beauty of the morning, 
Only wait." 

¥ 

XIII. . 3m»arb (Rest 



Thus saith the Lord God, the holy one of Israel, in 
returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and 
confidence shall be your strength. — Isaiah xxx. ij. 



^ET us understand the exact kind of rest which is 
particularly needful, and which is not always 
included in the popular notions. Everybody is aware 
of that kind of rest, which is called physical ; but there 
is another kind of rest which may be enjoyed simulta- 
neously with the daily exercise of our working faculties. 
This is an inward composure, a calm self-possession, a 
steady adherence to fixed principles. The busy man of 
the world might acquire it, and is certainly more in need 

325 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

of it than the hermit or recluse. It is a sort of com- 
posure which is quite compatible with outward activity 
and mental activity too. . . . How much more 
easily we could get through the vicissitudes of this 
earthly career, if only we could preserve the calm, 
inward self! Oswald John Simon. 

/AORSAKE me not, my God ! 
AJ Uphold me in Thy going, 
That evermore I may 

Please Thee in all well-doing. 
And that Thy Will, O God, 

May never be forgot 
In all my works and ways, 

My God, forsake me not. 



XIV. £0e Butipct&tnt Jgefy. 

Show me Thy ways, O Lord, teach me Thy paths ; 
lead me in Thy truth and guide me : for Thou art the 
God of my salvation ; on Thee do I wait every day. — 
Psalms xxv. ^, J. 



ffVEOPLE say they believe in God; they are sure that 
Vr He is the most Perfect Being it is possible to 
imagine; but they fail to appreciate or even to take 
account of that wondrous privilege inherent in human 
nature, namely, that it is possible for us, even in the 
busy world, to live with Him. In this generation there 
is especial need of making the Supreme Being a greater 
reality for us. What we want is God Himself with all 

326 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

the inward rest and peace which His presence can alone 
procure. The mere contact with such a presence is 
likely to light up all dark corners of our secret lives to 
render glaring to our own perception some of those 
evils to which we would rather have remained blindfold. 

Oswald John Simon. 

^TlELL may Thy happy children cease 
From restless wishes prone to sin, 
And in Thine own exceeding peace 

Yield to Thy daily discipline. 
We need as much the load we bear, 

As air we breathe, as light we see ; 
It draws us to Thy side in prayer, 

It binds us to our strength in Thee. 

XV. JSerenifg. 

The Merciful One, may He grant us a perfect 
Sabbath here and rest in the life everlasting. — Ancient 
Hebrew Prayer. 



*t KNOW not if there be an occupation more fitting the 
^ Sabbath than to look into a human heart where 
peace, content and kindliness reign. It is like coming 
from the heat, the turmoil and the conflicts of a teem- 
ing city to the sweet stillness of the meadow, the hill or 
the forest; it is like sitting by a brook bubbling its 
music at our feet, or under shading trees the whisper 
of whose branches lull us into forgetfulness of the 
outside world. O happy souls where heavenly peace 

3 2 7 ' 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

rules ! To hear your discourse, to listen to your mild 
reproofs, to learn of the path so often strewn with 
thorns, on which you were led to your repose, is heark- 
ening to the perennial revelation of God; is keeping 
His Sabbath in the way most pleasing to Him, because 
most blessed to us. G. G. 

/YV O W may the great and glorious God 
vL Through His own grace 
Shield us from shame-deeds, 

And from sinful works ; 
And give us grace to guide us rightly here 

In this weak, sorrowful world, 
That we may come to His court, 

The Kingdom of Heaven ; 
When souls shall part and sunder fly, 

To be and bide and rest with Him. 



xvi. (UtusefM (peace. 

And I will yet be more lowly than this, yea, will 
be base in my own sight. . . . — II. Samuel. 6, 22. 



fY\ EVER will I seek or receive private, individual sal- 
^ vation ; never will I enter into final peace alone, 
but for ever and everywhere I will live and strive for 
the universal redemption of every creature throughout 
the worlds. Buddhist Liturgy. 

If the greatest man on earth commits an injury, a 
good man can at once make himself greater than he by 
forgiving it. 

328 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

To love and to serve all men is to delight in God. 

Mencius. 

If thou hast done harm to any one, be it ever so little, 
consider it much; if thou hast done any one a favor, be 
it ever so great, consider it little. If thy neighbor 
has shown thee kindness, do not undervalue it; if he 
has caused thee injury, do not overrate it. 

The Pharisees. 

*% PEACE and Rest ! 

^■^ Upon the breast 

Of God Himself I seem to lean, 

No break nor bar 

Of sun or star 
And God and I and nought between. 

O, when some day 

In vain I pray 
For days like these to come again, 

I shall rejoice 

With heart and voice 
That one such day has ever been. 

%> 
XVII. ^acreb QXm of tyt ^acrec ©dg. 

Verily, my Sabbaths ye shall keep, for the Sabbath 
is a sign between me and you throughout your genera- 
tions ; that ye may know that I am the Lord that doth 
sanctify you. — Exodus xxxi. /j. 



T^HE Fourth Commandment has reference to the 

sacred seventh day, that it may be passed in a 

pious and holy manner. The sacred historian says, 

329 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

that the world was created in six days and that on the 
seventh day God desisted from His works and began to 
contemplate what He had so beautifully created; and He 
commanded that beings who were destined to live in 
this state, shall imitate God in this particular, as well as 
in others. They shall work on the six days, but cease 
on the seventh, and devote their leisure to the contem- 
plation of nature; they shall consider whether in the 
preceding six days they have done anything that was 
not holy. They shall bring their conduct before the 
judgment seat of the soul and subject to a close scrutiny 
all they have said and done, the Divine Laws sitting by 
as assessors and joint inquirers; thus errors that have 
been committed, at times only from carelessness, may 
be corrected and similar offences thereafter be avoided. 

Philo-Jud^eus, 
HOLY SABBATH-REST. 
ri\I OUS lips hail thy advent, 
yp Thee in love our God has se 
Mind and heart of man to guard, 
And to lead him heavenward. 

* 

XVIII. £*ffla$ gfcugtfs. 

I. 

Receive the instruction of wisdom and justice, and 
judgment and equity. — Proverbs i. j». 



HE moral order of the world rests on three things 
on Law, on Worship and on Charity. 

330 



SUN AND SHIELD 

In serving God be not like hirelings who work only 
for the sake of the wages they receive, but do thou the 
will of the Heavenly Father without any thought of 
recompense. Let thy house be a meeting-place for 
wise men; cover thyself with the dust of their feet (be 
their disciple) and drink in their words with avidity; 
but let thy home also be open to the poor that they may 
come in as though they were of thine own household. 

Those that are above thee in wisdom and piety make 
thy teachers; those that are thine equals make thy 
friends and associates; but judge thou all men from the 
favorable side and try to discover their merits, be they 
ever so humble in station and deficient in knowledge. 
Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

ff\ THOU, whose perfect goodness crowns 
^■^ With peace and joy this sacred day, 
Our hearts are glad for all the years 
Thy love has kept us in Thy way. 

For common tasks of help and cheer, 
For quiet hours of thought and prayer, 
For moments when we seemed to feel 
The breath of a diviner air ; 

For mutual love and trust that keep 
Unchanged through all the changing time, 
For friends within the vail who thrill 
Our spirit with a hope sublime : 

For this, and more than words can say, 
We praise and bless Thy holy name. 
Come life or death, enough to know 
That Thou art evermore the same. 

John W. Chadwick. 

33' 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XIX. Continuation, 



ii. 



Incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thou thy 
heart to understanding. — Proverbs ii. 2. 



Tt^EEP aloof from an evil-minded neighbor, avoid the 
company of sinners lest thou also be taken in the 
judgment that is sure to come upon them, sooner or 
later. 

Love work; never try to lord it over others; thrust 
not thyself upon the society of the great ones of the 
land. Love peace and pursue after it ; love all men and 
try to win them to the study of God's word. 

He who runs after fame, from him it flees; not to 
grow in understanding is to decrease; not to acquire 
wisdom when we may is to sin against our own soul ; 
and to boast of one's learning is to lapse into ignorance. 

If I do not care for myself — who will ? but if I care 
for myself only — what am I ? and if not now — when ? 

Set a fixed time every day for the reading of God's 
Word, promise little and do much; receive every man 
with a friendly face. 

There is nothing better for man than to know the 
value of silence ; for he that speaketh much can hardly 
avoid sin. 

Knowledge of the Torah availeth much ; yet the chief 
purpose of its study is : the doing of God's will. 

332 



SUN AND SHI J: LI). 



The three strong pillars of all well-being are: Truth, 
Justice and Peace. 

Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 



^TTE liveth long, who liveth well ! 
jl*J All other life is short and vain ; 
He liveth longest who can tell 
Of living most for heavenly gain. 

He liveth long, who liveth well ! 

All else is being flung away ; 
He liveth longest, who can tell 

Of true things truly done each day. 



XX. Cofttitiubtion. 



Discretion shall preserve thee, understanding shall 
keep thee. — Proverbs ii. u. 



3N seeking the path thou shouldst take in any action, 
see that it be one which is honorable to thyself and 
gives no just offense to others. 

Be as scrupulous about the lightest command as 
about the weightiest matter of duty, for no man can 
foresee the consequences of his actions. 

Consider three things that thou mayest be saved from 
falling into sin : Above thee there is an All-seeing Eye ; 
around thee, an All-hearing Ear, and all thy deeds are 
recorded as in a book. 

How beautiful is the study of God's Law when con- 



333 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

joined with a. worldly avocation; for the efforts de- 
manded by both stifle the voice of temptation. 

The Israelite should fulfill the Commandments only 
from the love of God ; but if this love does not constrain 
him, let him be obedient still; for, in doing God's will, 
in the end he will learn to love Him. 

Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

yJVLAD with Thy light, and glowing with Thy love, 
^-^ So let me ever speak and think and move 

As fits a soul new-touched with life from Heaven, 
That seeks but so to order all her course 
As most to show the glory of that Source 

By whom her strength, her hope, her life are given. 

XXL Continuation, 

Ponder the path of thy feet that all thy ways may 
be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the 
left; keep thy foot from evil. — Proverbs iv. 26, 27. 



^frylTH whom the fear of God is the beginning of 
wisdom, his wisdom shall endure and he shall not 
be put to shame ; and he who is as zealous in good works 
as in the study of the Word, his learning will avail him 
much. He who has earned the love of his fellow-men 
will receive favor from God. 

Sleeping through the morning hours, carousing at 
noondays, childish babbling and vulgar company in 
the evening waste a man's life. 

A mocking spirit and a frivolous mind are forerunners 

334 



SUN A A J) SHIELD. 

of immorality. Tradition is a rampart around the 
law; charity is a safeguard of wealth; good resolves 
are a fence around sobermindedness and silence is a 
hedge around wisdom. 

Store up knowledge in early life ; for then memory is 
a clean page whereon it is easy to write ; in later years 
memory is like paper which is already covered with 
various writings on which it is hard to write legibly. 
Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

^(YND oh ! in my exceeding weakness, 
yVV Make Thy strength perfect ; Thou art strong : 
Aid me to do Thy will with meekness, — 
Thou, to whom all my powers belong. 

Oh ! let me feel that Thou art near me ; 

Close to Thy side, I shall not fear : 
Hear me, O Strength of Israel, hear me ; 

Sustain and aid, in mercy hear ! 

XXII. Conftnuafton. 

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom ; I have 
led thee in the right paths ; now, when thou goest, thy 
steps shall not be straightened ; and when thou run- 
nest thou shalt not stumble. — Proverbs iv. u, 12. 



0Y)HO is the wise man ? he who learns from every 
one capable to instruct him. Who is the strong 
man ? he who controls his passions. Who is the rich 
man ? he who knows how to enjoy his portion in life; 
he is happy in this life, and blessed in the life to come. 

335 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Who is the honored man ? he who honors his fellow- 
men. 

Be attentive to every duty, however small, and flee 
from every sin, however trifling it may seem; for 
remember, one virtue leads to another just as one sin 
opens the way to another. 

Despise the power of no man, and hold no event as 
too removed from happening; for there is no man but 
has his day and no thing but has his place in the chain 
of events. 

Use not thy knowledge of Divine things as a crown 
wherewith to glory before men, nor as a spade where- 
with to dig for treasure ; for verily, those who do this 
labor in vain. 

Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

fiLO should we live that every hour 
J5k May die as dies the natural flower — 
A self-reviving thing of power ; 

That every thought and every deed 
May hold within itself the seed 
Of future good and future meed. 

XXIII. Continuation. 

Be strong and of good courage; I will not fail 
thee nor forsake thee. — Joshua i. 6. 



T^RY not to reason with a man whilst he is in the heat 

of anger; obtrude not thy consolations where the 

grief is still fresh; keep not a man too strictly to a 

336 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

promise made hastily, and rush not in to see a man in 
his downfall. 

Look not so much upon the pitcher, as upon what it 
contains. There are new and unsightly vessels which 
preserve old wine of the best sort; and there are old and 
costly ones which contain new wine and of the poorest 
kind. 

These are the three overmastering foes to a blessed 
life: Envy, Lusting and Ambition. 

Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

If you prepare a dish of food carelessly you do not 
expect Providence to make it palatable; neither if, 
through years of folly, you misguide your own life, need 
you expect Divine interference to bring round every- 
thing at last for the best. Ruskin. 

-T^HE highest duties oft are found 
^^ Lying on the lowest ground, 
In hidden and unnoticed ways, 
In household works, on common days ; 
Whate'er is done for God alone, 
Thy God acceptable will own. 

¥ 

XXIV. Continuation. 

The Lord keepeth mercy for thousands : forgiveth 
iniquity, transgression and sin ; but will by no means 
clear the guilty. — Exodus xxxiv. J. 

Even unto his day of death Thou waitest for the 
sinner to repent and be forgiven. — Fro?n Jewish 
Ritual. 

337 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

EVERYTHING is foreknown by God, but man is a 
free agent; and he is judged according to the 
quality of his acts. All that we possess is merely a 
trust, and over all life a net is spread out. The store- 
house is open, the proprietor sells on credit ; the ledger 
lies ready and the purchaser's hand makes the entry; 
whoever wishes may come and borrow ; but the collec- 
tors are continually going the rounds of the debtors, 
and receive payment from them, willingly or unwil- 
lingly. 

Learning without a pious life is likened to what ? 
It is likened to a tree which has many branches, but 
few roots — when a storm cometh, it is plucked up and 
thrown to the ground. As the Scriptures say : he shall 
be like a tamarisk in the desert and shall not see any 
good. But the man rich in knowledge and abounding 
in good deeds, he is like a tree which is not moved from 
its place, even if the winds blow upon it from the four 
quarters of heaven. 

Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

Only add 
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable ; add faith, 
Add virtue, patience, temperance ; add love ; 
. . . Then wilt thou not be loath 
To leave a paradise, but shalt possess 
A paradise within thee, happier far ! 

¥ 

xxv. Zfc father of m$t*. 

With Thee is the fountain of life ; in Thy light we 
shall behold light. — Psalms xxxvi. 9. 

338 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ITTe is the Father of lights, the producer of the 
" heavenly bodies, the source of all the light of 
knowledge, all the light of wisdom, all the light of 
faith, all the light of hope, all the light of love, all the 
light of joy. If any man arise in his generation to shine 
as a star in the hemisphere of human society, God 
kindled the splendor of his intellect and the benign 
radiance of his high spiritual character. If any woman 
arise to brighten a home, or send the kindly light of her 
sweetness over any cheerless portion of our race, it was 
God who dwelt in her heart, and smiled through her 
life. If on the coast of our humanity, we, mariners on 
life's uncertain sea, behold light-houses so placed along 
the shore as to enable us to take bearings and shape our 
courses that bring us to our havens of safety, it is God 
who has erected each such light-house and kindled each 
such pharos. Charles F. Deems. 

A"\ GOD of light, Thine aid impart 
^■^ To guide our doubtful way ; 
Thy truth shall scatter every cloud 

And make a glorious day. 
Supported by Thy heavenly grace 

We'll do and bear Thy will ; 
Thy love shall make each burden light 

And every murmur still. 

xxvi. fads of (piefc 

Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and 
pray unto Me, and I will hearken unto you ; and ye 
shall seek Me and find Me, when ye shall search for 
Me with all your heart.— Jtremia/i xxix, 12, 13. 

339 



SUN AND SHIELD, 

^Yfr)HBN thou knowest for certain that thy heart and 
mind have arrived and entered before God, that 
He has brought thee near to Him and saluted thee and 
given thee charge of hearts and made thee their steward 
and physician : then turn thy gaze to the creatures of the 
world and that gaze will be a favor unto them. And 
the taking the world out of the hands of usurpers and 
restoring it to the poor and claiming thy own share of 
it will be an act of piety and devotion and well-doing. 



Trust in God in this, that, should you know of any- 
one in the city more in need of food than yourself, you 
should not eat your food yourself, but should give it to 
him. O God, if I serve Thee for fear of hell, then burn 
me in hell, and if I serve Thee in hope of heaven, then 
forbid me heaven ; but if I serve Thee for Thine own 
sake, of Thy grace withhold not from me Thine eternal 
beauty. Persian. 

T^AKE my will and make it Thine, 
^^ It shall be no longer mine. 
Take my heart, it is Thine own, 
It shall be Thy royal throne. 

XXVII. gpitihux? <£rof»f0. 

In my heart have I treasured up Thy sayings, that 
I may not sin against Thee. 

I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies more 
than in all riches. — Psalms cxix. u, 14. 

340 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

'YVlE ought daily or weekly to dedicate a little time to 
the reckoning up of the virtues of our belong- 
ings — wife, children, friends — and contemplating them 
then in a beautiful collection. And we should do so 
now, that we may not pardon and love in vain and too 
late, after the beloved one has been taken away from 
us to a better world. Jean Paul F. Richter. 

We cannot always be doing a great work, but we can 
always be doing something that belongs to our con- 
dition. To be silent, to suffer, to pray when we can- 
not act, is acceptable to God. A disappointment, a 
contradiction, a harsh word, an annoyance, a wrong 
received and endured as in His presence, is worth more 
than a long prayer ; and we do not lose time if we bear 
its loss with gentleness and patience, provided the loss 
was inevitable, and was not caused by our own fault. 

Fenelon. 

/♦% WEAR thee well, that all thy weeds be clean, 
^■^ Honoring God's holy day; else thou hast harm. 
What are those weeds which ye may wrap you in, 
They that shall show you shrouded pure and sheen ? 
Good works they are which thou in life hast wrought ; 
See thou be found both fresh and fair in life. 

XXVIII. £0e (peeture of ffc ©eitg. 

Bless, O my soul, the Lord : O Lord , my God 
Thou art very great ; Thou art clothed with honor 
and majesty, Thou coverest Thyself with light as with 
a garment ; Thou stretchest out the heavens like a 
curtain. — Psalms civ. /, 2* 

341 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

QlATURE is still, as ever, the thin veil 

>■* Which half conceals, and half reveals the face 

The lineaments supernal of our King, — 

The modifying medium through which 

His glories are exhibited to man. — 

The grand repository where He hides 

His mighty thoughts to be dug out like diamonds; — 

Still is the day irradiate with His glory, 

Flowing in steady, sun-streaked, ocean gush 

From His transcendant nature — still at night 

O'er our horizon trail the sable robes 

Of the Eternal One, with all their rich 

Embroidery and emblazonment of stars. 

J. Stanyon Bigg. 

fYJ EDEEM mankind from mournful ignorance ; 
\i Do Thou dispel, O Father, from our souls this fault. 
And grant that we attain that wisdom high, 
On which relying, Thou dost rule the world 
With justice ; so that, honored thus by Thee, 
Thee we in turn may honor, and my hymn 
Unceasingly Thy works may praise, as doth beseem 
A mortal, since nor men nor gods can know 
A grander honor than to greatly hymn 
The universal and eternal law. Cleanthes. 

¥ 

XXIX. Z§t throne of (Bob. 

Whom have I in heaven but Thee ? And what 
other god can I desire with Thee ? . , . Thy 
nearness is my highest good. In Thee alone do I 
trust ; and all Thy works will I declare. — Psalms 
Ixxiii. 25 ', 28. 

342 



SUN A XD SHIELD. 

7f HOU art to know that thy soul is the centre, habi- 
tation, and kingdom of God. That, therefore, to 
the end the sovereign King may rest on that throne of 
thy soul, thou o Lightest to take pains to keep it clean, 
quiet and peaceable — clean from guilt and defects; 
quiet from fears; and peaceable in temptations and 
tribulations. Thou oughtest always, then, to keep thine 
heart in peace, that thou mayest keep pure that temple 
of God; and with a right and pure intention thou art to 
work, pray, obey and suffer (without being in the least 
moved), whatever it pleases the Lord to send unto 
thee. M. Molinos. 

By reflection, by restraint and control, a wise man 
can make himself an island which no floods can over- 
whelm. Buddhistic. 

nfYlHERE is my God, my soul ? 

Is He within thy heart, 
Or ruler of a distant realm 
In which thou hast no part ? 

Where is thy God, my soul ? 

Only in stars and sun ? 
Or have the holy words of truth 

His light in every one ? 

XXX. (prager of ffle ^earning $$ou£ 

My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God ! — 
Psalms xlii. 2. 



r)|%LESS me in this life but with peace of my con- 
^*^ science, command of my affections, the love of 






SUN AND SHIELD. 

Thyself and my dearest friends, and I shall be happy 
enough to pity Caesar. These are, O Lord, the humble 
desires of my most reasonable ambition and all I dare 
call happiness on earth; wherein I set no rule or limit 
to Thy hand or providence ; dispose of me according to 
the wisdom of Thy pleasure ; Thy will be done, though 
in my own undoing. Sir Thomas Brown. 

^frLL the world is by Thy counsel 

yVV Still sustained, Thou Root of all things. 

All that is and all that has been, 

All that shall be, all that can be, 

Thou art Father, Thou art Mother ; 

Thou art Voice and Thou art Silence, 

Thou art Nature's inmost Nature, 

Thou art Lord, the Age of Ages. 

If I dare to call upon Thee, 

I would hail Thee, Root of Order ! 

Turn Thine ear to me in pity, 

Beam on me Thy light of wisdom ; 

Shed on me the grace abundant 

Of a life at peace from tumult. 

> defend my frame from sickness, 

And the rush of restless passions, 

So no earthly care may hinder 

My blest soul from rising upwards. 

Bishop Synesius 
IV. Century. 



344 



Jeetfteafo* 



These are the feasts of the Lord, even holy con- 
vocations which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. — 
Leviticus xxiii. 4. 

And Nehemiah and Ezra and the Levites who 
taught the people, said unto them : This day is holy 
unto the Lord, your God; mourn not, nor weep. 
. . . Neither be ye sorry ; for the joy of the Lord 
is your strength. — Nehemiah viii. 9, 10. 



345 



I. tfc (Jfteee^e of t$e (Jftontfl of Zi$ri. 

For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners 
as were all our fathers ; our days on the earth are as a 
shadow, and there is none abiding. — /. Chronicles 

XXIX. IJ. 

^HE first message of this month of sacred days is one 
of sadness ; it reminds us that we have no abiding 
place on earth. How long our stay shall last — none can 
tell. It may be soon, it may be late when the sands 
of the glass are run out ; yet, at last — we shall part 
with all our possessions and go to our graves, naked 
as we entered this world. Remember this, O mortal, 
in thine eager chase after pleasures and thy devotion to 
gold and silver and all good things of this world ; yet 
not vainly lamenting as those who have no hope of a 
world which is the home of the spirit. Whilst living 
here, " build thee more stately mansions " for thy soul 
and seek thou delights that are not swallowed up in the 
grave. — Around that first message are gathered, like 
evening clouds, the sacred memories of our hearts, and 
the shadows of those gone before us who await our 
coming on the sunny border of the dark river. May 
their presence give still deeper tones to the prayer : 
" Teach us, O God, to number our days that we may 
apply our hearts to wisdom." G. G. 

347 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

fY) EMEMBER Him, the Only One, 
Vj, Now, ere the years flow by ; 
Now while the smile is on thy lips, 
The light within the eyes. 

Now, ere for thee have lost 

The sun his glorious light, 
Or earth rejoice thee not with flowers 

Nor with its stars — the night. 

IRew J^ear ; 2)as of /IDemorial. 

I. 

^T\NE generation goeth and one generation cometh 
and the earth remaineth forever. 

Thou hast been our refuge in all generations ; before 
mountains were created and the earth and the world 
was brought forth, yea, from eternity to eternity Thou 
art God. A thousand years in Thy sight are as a yester- 
day when it is passed, and as one of the watches of the 
night. Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the 
earth ; and the heavens are the works of Thy hands. 
They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure ; yea, all of 
them shall wax old like a garment, as a vesture shalt 
Thou change them, and they shall be changed. But 
Thou remainest the same and Thy years shall have no 
end. 

The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the 
Lord is our king; He will save us. 

348 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Thus saith the Lord God : behold I, even I will both 
search my sheep and seek them out, as a shepherd seek- 
eth out his flock in the day that he is among his flock 
which is scattered and I will deliver them out of all 
places where they have been scattered in the cloudy 
and dark day. Scripture. 

OfrT His name shall heaven and earth 
\VV Break forth in praises 

With a joy that shall not cease ; 
And the woods shall shout and clap 

Their hands in gladness. 
For the Lord, our God, has visited 

His people speaking peace. 

III. (go^sMAtttt^. 

2)a^ of memorial. 
II. 

T^HOU, O God, rememberest what was wrought from 
eternity and art mindful of all that has been 
formed from of old. Before Thee all secrets are re- 
vealed and the multitude of hidden things from the 
beginning. There is no forgetfulness before the throne 
of Thy glory and nothing is concealed from Thine eyes. 
. . . Happy is the man who forgeteth Thee not and 
the son of man who strengthened himself in Thee, for 
they that seek Thee shall never stumble, neither shall 
any be put to shame who trust in Thee. 

Ancient Jewish Liturgy. 

349 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



^ ORD, Thy heavenly love bestoweth 
J^t All the good my spirit knoweth, 
All my life-long benedictions 
From Thy gracious hand they came. 
May Thy hallowed fear enfold me, 
May Thy perfect law uphold me, 
That my soul in glad submission 
To Thy great and awful name, 
Praise and prayer and thanks outpouring, 
Sanctifying and adoring, 
May exalt it, and extol it, 

And Thy Unity proclaim. 



Solomon ib'n Gabirol. 



IV. Zfyt ©eaemg of $ton. 



I have seen the travail which God hath given to 
the sons of men to be exercised in it. He hath made 
everything beautiful in its time ; also He hath set the 
love of the world in their hearts, and no man can find 
out the work that. God hath made from the beginning 
to the end. — Ecclesiastcs Hi. io, u. 



Tj^HOSE born into the world are doomed to die; the 
dead, to live on again, and those who enter the 
eternal life, to be judged. Therefore, let it be recog- 
nized, understood and remembered, that He, the 
Almighty, the Creator, He is the counsellor, He the 
judge, He the witness, He the accuser. He is always 
ready to give judgment; and before Him, there is no 
injustice, no oversight, no regard for rank, no bribery. 

350 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Know that all deeds and thoughts will appear in the 
account. Accept not the assurance of thy passions, 
that the grave will be a place of refuge for thee. For 
without thy consent wert thou created, wert born into 
the world without thy choice; thou art now living 
without thine own volition, without thine approval thou 
shalt at last die; so likewise, without thy consent thou 
wilt have to render account before the Supreme King, 
the Holy One, blessed be He. 

Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

TYlELL it behooveth for to speak, to counsel, and to sing 

Of Him whom none may lightly reck, great King of every King ; 
For He may bind, and He may break, and He to bliss may bring, 
Lock and unbar at will, mighty o'er everything ! 

His holy name be hallowed in heaven and in earth. 

Thou wroughtest fire, wind, water; and, for fourth, 

That of which men are made : the mould of holy earth ; 

To draw us nearer to Thee, Thou God that know'st our birth. 

Old English. 
¥ 

V. for tfc Qpenifenfidf ©age. 

Zbc *alm 36eforc tbe XUounfc. 

I. 

Good and just is the Lord: therefore showeth He 
to sinners the right way. — Psalms xxv. 8, 



T^HIS right way is Repentance, whereby the merciful 

Father has bestowed on man a saving gift. It is 

one of the seven things, according to our Sages, which 



351 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

God created before the world came into being ; like 
unto a king who, before erecting his palace, has the 
ground made secure on which the structure is to rest. 
Repentance is the foundation of the moral world. 
Again the Sages teach : Before the wound, which sin 
inflicts upon the soul, the Heavenly Physician provided 
the healing ointment. Wonderful is the power of Re- 
pentance, for it reaches to the throne of the Merciful 
one. But Repentance is only known to those who are 
of a lowly and contrite spirit. Then let the Israelite 
check the pride of self-righteousness, let him not 
imagine that his piety or his much reading of God's 
Word can raise him above the need of Repentance. 
The simple-minded who is truly sorry for his sins, may 
tower far above him. Moses reached the highest 
degree of inspiration only because he was more humble 
than any other man. Jacob Halevy. 

^fr^HINE erring servant, Lord, doth yearn 
^^ For Thy consoling grace ; 
Spread over Him its healing wing, 
His guilt do Thou efface. 

Were not Thy word : Turn back from sin 

And I will turn to Thee, 
I, like a helmsman in the storm, 

Would helpless face the sea. 

O let my penitence to-day 

Be my soul's surety ; 
Contrite I vow to serve Thee well ; 

Be merciful to me ! 

352 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

VI. (Bob'e <£t>erfti6fing Covenant TO# O^n. 

II. 

The Rock of Israel spake to me : He that ruleth 
over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God ; and 
he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun 
riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender 
grass springing out of the earth by clear sinning after 
rain. — //. Samuel xxiii. j, ^. 



T^HESE words are given in the Bible as the last 
words of King David. For poetic beauty, for 
tenderness and pathos, for faith and hope, they deserve 
attention. We are listening to a fellow mortal who 
speaks to us with a full vision of death before his eyes, 
turning, as dying man will ever turn, first to the 
chequered past, then to the unfinished or broken 
present, and lastly to the hopeful future. He speaks 
out of a rich experience of the peace and bliss which a 
righteous man never fails to win. He remembers that 
this peace and joy of soul can never be wanting from the 
deeds and desires of righteousness, the answer of a 
good conscience before God. That is part of God's 
everlasting covenant which cannot be broken, ordered 
in all things and sure — the invariable consequence of 
the heart being right with God. 

So, at the beginning of this new year, let us fortify 
our courage and renew our strength by reading again 
God's covenant of grace and truth written on every 
heart. May it be our blessed experience to draw all 



353 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

our hope for future good from that covenant of His, 
and on our part to do our utmost to work together with 
him in the correction of our own faults, in the power to 
bear patiently with the faults of others ; that our hearts 
and our homes may be right with God, and righteous- 
ness, peace, and joy, may reign therein, like morning 
when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds. 

Charles Voysey. 

3NTO the tomb of ages past 
Another year hath now been cast ; 
Shall time unheeded take its flight, 
Nor leave one ray of higher light, 
That on man's pilgrimage may shine 
And lead his soul to spheres divine ? 

With firm resolve your bosoms nerve, 
The God of right alone to serve ; 
Speech, thought and act to regulate, 
By what His perfect laws dictate ; 
Nor from His sanctuary stray 
By worldly idols lured away. 

* 

VII. <ftob'0 (Jttercg Our (gefuge. 

III. 

Enter not into judgment with Thy servant ; for in 
Thy sight shall no man living be justified. — Psalm 
cxliii. 2. 



^ET nothing hinder thee to pay thy vow in due time, 
and wait not until death to be justified. 
From morning until evening the time changeth and 
all things are speedy before the Lord. 



354 



SC\ AND SHIELD. 

Say not thou : It is through the Lord that I fell away. 
— If thou wilt, thou shalt keep the Commandments; 
and to perform faithfulness is of thine own good 
pleasure. 

He hath set fire and water before thee ; thou shalt 
stretch forth thy hand unto whichsoever thou wilt. 

Bind not one sin upon another, for in none thou shalt 
remain unpunished. 

Who will purify him that sinneth against his own 
soul ? and who will honor him that dishonoreth his own 
life? 

The mercy of man is upon his neighbor ; but the 
mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh, reproving and 
chastening, and teaching and bringing again what was 
lost as a shepard doth his flock. Ecclesiasticus. 

rt,0, Thou hast set before Thine eyes 
f% Our misdeeds and our errors ; 
Our secret sins from darkness rise, 
With their awakening terrors ; 
Who can abide the trying hour ? 
Or who escape Thine arm of power? 
We flee unto Thy mercy. 

VIII. <$brgit>ene66 to f0e <£brgifttng. 

IV. 

Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for 
the punishment of his sins ? Let us search and try 
our ways and turn again unto the Lord. — Lamenta- 
tions Hi. jg. 40. 

355 



® 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

LL wisdom is with the fear of the Lord and the 
doing of the law. 



The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom and the 
prudence of sinners is not counsel. 

Better is one that hath small understanding and 
feareth God than one that hath much prudence and 
transgresseth the law. 

Forgive thy neighbor the hurt that he hath done thee 
and then thy sins shall be pardoned when thou prayest. 
Man cherisheth anger against man and doth he seek 
healing from the Lord? Upon a man like himself he 
hath no mercy and doth he make supplication for his 
sins? He being flesh nourisheth wrath, who shall make 
atonement for his sins? Remember thy last end and 
cease from enmity. Remember corruption and death 
and abide in the Commandments. Remember the 
Commandments and be not wroth with thy neighbor; 
and remember the covenant of the Highest and wink 
at ignorance. Ecclesiasticus. 



^JJATH my heart been wavering long? 
]mj Have I dallied oft with wrong ? 

Now, at last, I firmly say : 
All my will to Thee I give, 
Only to my God to live, 

And to serve Him day and night. 

356 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

IX. ©itnne 3ub$ment. 

V. 



What is man that Thou shouldest magnify him ? 
and that Thou shouldest set Thy heart upon him ? 
and that Thou shouldest visit him every morning and 
try him every moment ? — Job vii. 77, 18. 



*|S there but one day of judgement? Why, for us 
^ every day is a day of judgment — every day is a 
Dies Irae and writes its irrevocable edict in the flames of 
the West. Think you that judgment waits till the 
doors of the grave are opened ? It waits at the doors 
of your houses — it waits at the corners of your streets; 
we are in the midst of judgment — the insects that we 
crush are our judges — the moments we fret away are 
our judges, the elements that feed us judge us as they 
minister — and the pleasures that deceive us judge us as 
we indulge. J. Ruskin. 

Secure a good name to thyself by living virtuously 
and humbly; but let this good name be nursed abroad, 
and never be brought home to look upon it: let others 
use it for their own advantage; let them speak of it if 
they please ; but do not thou use it at all but as an 
instrument to do God glory, and thy neighbor more 
advantage. Let thy face, like Moses, shine to others, 
but make no looking-glass for thyself. 

Jeremy Taylor. 

357 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

(V\0 action, whether foul or fair, 

\i Is ever done but leaves somewhere 

A record written with fingers ghostly, 

As a blessing or curse, and mostly 

In the greater weakness or greater strength 

Of the acts which follow it, till at length 

The wrongs of ages are redressed 

And the justice of God made manifest. 



X. £0e pinner's ^eff^tJtng. 

VI. 

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built 
up ; thou shalt put away iniquity from thy tabernacles. 
— Job xxii. 23. 



/yt EVER reproach a man with the sins of which he 
has repented. God hears graciously the prayers 
of him who receives the penitents and guards them from 
temptation. 

Brethren, Holy Writ does not say: " and God saw the 
sackcloth and the ashes of the people of Niniveh " and, 
therefore, spared them, but God saw their works that 
they turned from the evil way and from the violence 
that was in their hands. 

Brethren, be exhorted to show mercy one to the other, 
and practice charity towards the poor so that you may 
find mercy in Heaven. 

The gates of Repentance are never closed, for God 

358 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

desires that the sinner shall return and live, nay, waits 
for his coming until the day of his death. 

Great is the power of Repentance; for it restores 
health to the world, hastens the redemption, brings 
man nearer to God, saves whole bodies as well as indi- 
viduals from the evil fruits of their evil deeds and pro- 
longs the life of man. The Pharisees. 

/Jf\ PENITENCE ! to virtue near allied, 

^■^ Thou canst new joys e'en to the blest impart ; 

The listening angels lay their harps aside 

To hear the music of thy contrite heart ; 
And Heaven itself wears a more radiant face, 
When charity presents thee to the throne of grace. 



XI. J^ojournetB £)nfg £ifie &ur ^a^ere. 

VII. 

I am a stranger and sojourner with Thee, O God, 
as all my fathers were. — Psalms xxxix. 12. 



*1 WOULD have every one consider that he is in this 
*J life nothing more than a passenger, and that he is 
not to set up his rest here, but to keep an attentive eye 
upon that state of being to which he approaches every 
moment, and which will be for ever fixed and permanent. 
This single consideration would be sufficient to extin- 
guish the bitterness of hatred, the thirst of avarice and 
the cruelty of ambition. Antiphanes, a Greek poet, 
who lived a hundred years before Socrates, said: " Be 

359 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

not grieved above measure for thy deceased friends. 
They are not dead, but have only finished the journey 
which it is necessary for every one of us to take. We our- 
selves must go to that great place of reception in which 
they are, all of them, assembled, and, in this general 
rendezvous of mankind live together in another state of 
being." Addison. 

//^OR sin is handled, truth I say 

\J In words and doings every day; 
But another handling there should be : 
From sin by shrift to make thee free 
Handle thy sin in fear and dread, 
Or nought but pain will be thy meed ; 
Handle thy sins, and well them weigh, 
How they foredo each godly way. 
Handle them so to rise from all 
That after none may make thee fall. 

XII. gpixitmt gaff^earfebneB*. 

VIII. 

With my whole heart have I sought Thee ; O let 
me not wander from Thy Commandments. I will 
delight myself in Thy statutes ; I will not forget Thy 
word. — Psalms cxix. io t 16. 



CYI SINGLE sin, however apparently trifling, however 
^-' hidden in some obscure corner of our conscious- 
ness, — a sin which we do not intend to renounce, — is 
enough to render real prayer impracticable. A course 
of action not wholly upright and honorable, feelings not 

360 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

entirely kind and loving, habits not spotlessly chaste 

and temperate, — any of these are impassable obstacles. 
If we know of a kind act which we might, but do not 
intend to, perform, — if we be aware that our moral 
health requires the abandonment of some pleasure 
which yet we do not intend to abandon, here is cause 
enough for the loss of all spiritual power. 

F. P. Cobbe. 

A"NNE building and another pulling down, 

^"^ What profit have they had but toil ? 

One praying and another cursing, 

Whose voice will the Lord listen to ? 

He that washeth himself after touching a dead body, 

And toucheth it again, 

What profit hath he in his washing ? 

Even so a man fasting for his sins, 

And going again, and doing the same, 

W 7 ho will listen to his prayer, 

And what profit hath he in his humiliation? 

ECCLESIASTIC-US. 
pf\ROMISES in sorrow made 
yp' Left, alas, too long unpaid ; 

Fervent wishes, earnest thought 

Never into actions wrought. 
Long withheld, we now restore them, 
On Thy holy altar pour them ; 
There in trembling faith to leave them 
We present them, God receive them. 

XIII. Zfyc <£)ag of atonement. 

This shall be unto you a Sabbath of Sabbaths, 
when ye shall humble your souls. — Leviticus xvi. J/. 

361 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

T^HIS is the true atonement for our sins; and the 
word assures us that "a contrite spirit the Lord 
will not reject." A glance upon our past life suffices 
to bring the blush of shame upon our cheeks. How 
imperfect it all looks; how fragmentary the best we 
achieved and how inadequate compared with the fine 
resolutions we have formed ! What poor use we made 
of the opportunities that God has placed in our way; 
how small our improvements, if we accomplished 
any at all! Our spirit seems ever in revolt against 
God as though He always wronged us, when our 
hopes are not fulfilled and things do not go just as we 
wanted them to go! How hard-hearted, how selfish, 
how proud, how impatient, how unforgiving, how dis- 
contented, aye, how cruel we can be at times, can be 
and are, and, sad to think, shall be again despite our 
confessions, despite our vows, despite our remorses; 
we should not even dare to offer our humiliation as an 
atonement did we not, at the same time, dare to hope 
that God will help us in our weakness, if only we are 
instant in prayer and set Him always before our eyes. 
Let me do this from this day forward, till the heart 
shall be satisfied of His eternal goodness. G. G. 

ONG did I toil and knew no earthly rest ; 
A~* Far did I rove, and found no certain home. 
At last I found them in His sheltering breast, 

Who ope's His arms and bids the weary come; 
With Him I found a home, a rest divine, 

And I since then am His and He is mine. 

362 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XIV. (Reconcifiafion. 



Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should 
die ? saith the Lord God, and not that he should re- 
turn from his ways and live ? — Ezckiel xviii. 23. 



^\YlHAT can there be in our reconciliation to God that 
is so hard that it requires, if I may use the expres- 
sion, such a complicated apparatus of dogma and cere- 
monial? Why, the desire, if real, is half of the fulfill- 
ment; God is not a God of conditions and stipulations; 
else were he no God of mercy at all. He would, in 
levying a tax, merely grant what is the penitent's due. 
Who will gainsay Shakespeare when he declares: 

The quality of mercy is not strained : 
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 
Upon the place beneath ; it is twice blest — 
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes ; 
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest ; it becomes 
The throned monarch better than his crown. 

In the mouth of the prophets no cry is heard oftener 
than the call: Return, return; repent and live! Can 
such an invitation come from one who makes the road 
of the sinner hardest when he is inclined to be recon- 
ciled and accepted again ? No, it is not so difficult to 
be reconciled to God! not half as difficult as to man, 
and it is here where we need much training, much dis- 
cipline, much practice, much self-conquest; ay, and the 
strength of a deeper faith than is required for being 
reconciled to God. G. G. 

363 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

7j HY faithful servant, Lord, doth yearn 
^^ For Thy consoling grace ; 
Spread over him its healing wing, 
His guilt do Thou efface. 

XV. SeBfitxtfB of (Rejoicing 



Thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou and thy son, 
and thy daughter, thy man-servant and thy maid- 
servant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the father- 
less, and the widow that are within thy gates. — ■ 
Deuteronomy xvi. 14. 



Q£)Q not go back to monkish days and take on ascetic 
ideas of religion. If you will go back, go to Jew- 
ish times, where men worshipped largely in festivities; 
where, when they came to the temple, they came with 
such outbursts of pleasure, such uproarious rejoicings, 
that the writers, who described the tumult which pre- 
vailed on such occasions, sp.oke of it as the sounds of 
mighty thunderings and the voice of many waters. 
The Jews were cheerful. They had not much mirth, 
but they had great hilarity. The Old Testament is full 
of cheerfulness, of buoyancy and commands to it. 

Henry W. Beecher. 

All godlike things are joyous. They inherit joy by 
their own right. They sing songs in the soul even 
amidst the agonies of nature. There is no making 
them otherwise than joyous. They have touched God, 
and so they carry with them an irresistible gladness 

364 



SUN AN J) SHIELD. 

everywhere. They have an unquenchable sunshine of 
their own, which the surrounding darkness only makes 
more startlingly bright. F. W. Fader. 

rttt DEITY believed, is joy begun ; 
Vs2_/ A Deity adored, is joy advanced ; 
A Deity beloved, is joy matured. 
Each branch of piety delight inspires. 

¥ 

XVI. §^xst of £dfcrnacfe0. 

I. 

jpalms. 
And he carved all the walls of the house round 
about with carved figures of Cherubim and palm-trees 
and open flowers, within and without. — /. Kings vi. 

2 9- 

Off LMIGHTY God! when round Thy shrine 
^ The palm-tree's waving branch we twine, 

(Emblem of life's eternal ray 

And love that f adeth not away) ; 

We bless the flowers, adorned all, 

We bless the leaves that never fall, 

And hopeful say : In Eden thus 

The tree of life may flower for us. 

The joy in God is your strength. — Nehemiah. 

Give not thy soul over to sorrow and afflict not 
thyself in thine own counsel. Gladness of heart is the 
life of man, and the joyfulness of a man is his length of 
days. Care bringeth on old age before the time. 

3 6 5 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

The soul of man should be as a glittering mirror ; when 
there is rust on the mirror the face is not reflected by 
it. So when there is sin in the man he cannot see God. 

Wisdom of Solomon. 

Take Joy home, 
And make a place in thine own heart for her, 
And give her time to grow, and cherish her ! 
Then will she come and often sing to thee 
When thou art working in the furrows ! ay, 
Or weeding in the sacred hour of dawn. 
It is a comely fashion to be glad — 
Joy is the grace we say to God. 



XVII. Continwxtio*. 

II. 

Make us rejoice according to the days wherein we 
have been afflicted and the years wherein we have 
seen trouble. — Psalms xc. 15. 



*fT is possible, when the future is dim, when our 
^ depressed faculties can form no bright ideas of the 
perfection and happiness of a better world — it is pos- 
sible still to cling to the conviction of God's merciful 
purpose toward His creatures, of His parental goodness 
even in suffering; still to feel that the path of duty, 
though trodden with a heavy heart, leads to peace; 
still to be true to conscience; still to do our work, to 
resist temptation, to be useful, though with diminished 

366 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

energy, to give up our wills when we cannot rejoice 

under God's mysterious providence. In this patient, 
though uneheered, obedience, we become prepared for 
light. The soul gathers force. 

William E. Ciianning. 

For the wise, the remedy for their errors is reparation, 
not regret. Regret consumes the heart, but the effort 
to make good an error fills it with a noble pride. In 
ancient Egypt regret was numbered among the forty- 
tvvo deadly sins. One of the principal Commandments 
is: Thou shalt not consume thy heart. 

Anon. 

The human heart is like a millstone in a mill ; when 
you put wheat under it, it turns and grinds and bruises 
the wheat to flour; if you put no wheat, it still grinds 
on, but then 'tis itself it grinds and wears away. 

Martin Luther. 
¥ 

XVIII. Continuation. 

III. 

I will praise Thee, O Lord, with my whole heart ; 
I will show forth all Thy marvelous works. I will be 
glad and rejoice in Thee, I will sing praise to Thy 
name, O Thou most high. — Psalms ix. i, 2. 



Tf'HE Divine Law, perfect in every respect, is to lead 
us to perfection, as one who knew testifies. 



3 6 7 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

" The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the 
testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." 
But this same Divine Law never recommends self- 
mortification; on the contrary, it aims at inducing man 
to live by nature's laws and to keep to the golden mean, 
so that he may eat and drink and love in moderation, 
do right and justice, and live in the society of his 
fellow-men. He is nowhere told to retire to dens, 
mountains or deserts, to wear hair garments on his 
naked body, or to afflict it otherwise. And so we find 
that the Lord replies, through His prophet, to those 
who ask, whether they shall keep the fast-day of the 
fifth month or not. " When ye fasted and mourned in 
the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, 
did you at all fast unto me, even to me ? And when ye 
did eat and when ye did drink, did ye not eat for your- 
selves and drink for yourselves?" And again: " The 
fasts shall be to the house of Judah joy and gladness 
and cheerful feasts; therefore love truth and peace." 
Understand now that by " Truth," is intended, intel- 
lectual perfection and by " Peace," moral conduct by 
which peace is secured in the world. 

Moses Maimonides. 



/jy^AVE hope ! though clouds environ round 
J&J And gladness hides her face in scorn, 
Put thou the shadow from thy brow, 
No night but has its morn. 

368 



SUN AN1 > SHIELD. 

XIX. Continuation. 

IV. 



Only fear ye the Lord, and serve Him in truth with 
all your heart ; for consider what great things lie hath 
done for you. — /. Samuel xii. 24. 



fi\ CHILDREN of Israel, there is but one source of 
happiness for all mankind — the favor of God, for 
He alone is able to give good things to those that de- 
serve them and to deprive those of them that sin 
against Him. . . . Virtue itself is indeed the old- 
est and first of blessings, and bestows abundance of 
other blessings afterwards, so that your exercise of 
virtue towards other men will make your own lives 
happy and render you more glorious than other nations 
and secure you an undisputed reputation with posterity. 

Flavius Josephus. 

The name of God must be so holy to us that we 
should never blaspheme anything others call sacred, 
although we know that they are a prey to error; more- 
over, as those whom we offend will naturally retaliate 
by blaspheming our God, it is zve who cause His name 
to be desecrated amongst the nations. 

Philo Jud/eus. 

AANE by one thy duties wait thee, 
^"^ Let thy whole strength go to each ; 
Let no future dreams elate thee 

Learn thou first what these can teach. 

369 



SUN AND SHIELD 

One by one bright gifts of heaven, 

Joys are sent thee here below ; 
Take them readily when given, 

Ready, too, to let them go. 

XX. Continuation. 

V 



Whether a man be rich or poor, if he have a good 
heart toward the Lord, he shall at all times rejoice 
with a cheerful countenance. — Ecclesiasticus* 



A\ GOD of my fathers and Lord of mercy who hast 
made all things with Thy word, and ordained man 
through Thy wisdom, that he should have dominion 
over the creatures Thou hast made, and order the 
world according to equity and righteousness and exe- 
cute judgment with an upright heart: Give me wisdom 
and reject me not from among Thy children. For I, 
Thy servant and son of Thy handmaid, am weak and 
of short time and too young for the understanding of 
judgment and of laws. For, if a man be never so per- 
fect among the children of men, yet, if Thy wisdom be 
not with him, he shall be nothing regarded. . . . 
What man is he that can know the counsel of God ? or 
who can think what the will of the Lord is ? The 
thoughts of man are feeble and vacillating and our de- 
vices are uncertain. For the corruptible body presseth 
down the soul and the earthly tabernacle weigheth down 
the mind that museth on many things. Thy counsel, 



370 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

who hath known, except Thou give wisdom and send 
Thy holy spirit from above ? So the ways of them that 
lived on earth were reformed and men were taught the 
things that were pleasing unto Thee and were saved 
through wisdom. The Wisdom of Solomon. 

Anybody who is as wise as a serpent can afford to 
be as harmless as a dove.— Josh Billings. 

A wise man gets learning of those who have none 
of their own. — Scottish Proverb. 

It is better to sit in prison with a wise man than in 
paradise with a fool. — Russian Proverb. 



XXI. Continuation. 

VI. 

He that planted the ear, shall He not hear ? 
He that formed the eye, shall He not see ? 

— Psalm xciv. 9. 

(YtOW shall we praise the Uprearer of the realm 
w Of the high heaven, and the Maker's might, 
And His mind's wisdom, Father of the world; 
Yea, of all wondrous workings He has set 
The first forthcomings — Lord for evermore ! 
He for earth's children roofed the round of heaven, 
And laid this lower earth, Holy in all, 
Guardian of men, great God for evermore. 

Caedmon. 

37i 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Thy heaven on which 'tis bliss to look 
Shall be my pure and shining book, 

Where I shall read in words of flame 
The glories of Thy wondrous name. 

There's nothing bright, above, below, 

From flowers that bloom to stars that glow, 

But in its light my soul can see 
Some feature of Thy Deity. 

There's nothing dark, below, above, 

But in its gloom I trace Thy love, 
And meekly wait that moment, when 

Thy touch shall turn all bright again. 

Thomas Moore. 

The Power that develops life and love in human 
hearts is itself life and love and an infinite heart. 
There is an ear that hears and a tenderness that 
pities. I know no modern knowledge that forbids 
this fai her does it seem to me a necessity 

of all we know. . . . Above our troubled wak- 
ing and our troubled sleep alike watches our Father 
and our Mother — God ! — Minot J. Savage. 

xxii. tfy efoBtttg §wtii><xt 

&b'mini Btseretb. 

And thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites, 
and unto the judge that shall be in those days ; and 
they shall show thee the sentence of judgment. — 
Deuteronomy xvii. 9. 

372 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

3UDAISM is essentially a religion of life. Its end is 
moral perfection and the elevation of mankind to 
all that is holy and pure — to God. Its mission is the 
universal acknowledgment of the unity of the Supreme 
Being and the union of all God's children in a common 
bond of brotherhood. It is no sectarian, no national 
religion. It was not vouchsafed to Israel for the happi- 
ness of the few merely, to the exclusion of the many. 
It promulgates no principles which have not for their 
aim the permanent welfare of the human race. It is 
truly the religion of the world, imparted to Israel only 
that, through their instrumentality, mankind may ac- 
quire religious truth and thus become good and happy. 
In diffusing the blessings of their mission, then, it is 
clearly the duty of Israel to abandon every doctrine, 
every idea, every custom, every form which may tend 
to obscure the true beauties of their hallowed faith. 
The principles of religion alone are eternal. They pro- 
ceed from God and must be as immutable as Himself. 
Not so is it with the form. Religion being life, lives 
with man and is a portion of his nature ; hence the ex- 
ternal aids to religion, the forms, the ceremonies must 
be adapted to the requirements of man, as these vary 
according to the exigencies of time, place and circum- 
stances. Raphael D'C. Lewix. 

TJlHEN Thee in all discerning 

In sorrow, as in joy, 
We see hope's beacon burning, 
Find peace without alloy. 

373 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



Then are we at the fountain 
On life's transfigured mountain 
And nought can there annoy. 



XXIII. CfyxmU. 



Sfeast of tbe flfcaccabees. 

This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, 
saying : Not by host nor by might (is liberty gotten), 
but by my spirit, — Zechariah iv. 6. 



HO ock of Ages, let our song 
^ Praise Thy saving power; 
Thou, amidst the raging foes, 

Wast our shelf ring tower. 
Furious they assailed us, 
But Thine arm availed us, 
And Thy word 
Broke their sword, 
When our own strength failed us. 

Syria's king had in his pride 

Boastful undertaken : 
Judah's God shall be dethroned 

And His law forsaken. 
Fire and sword shall serve him ; 
No resistance swerve him 
From his bent, 
No lament 
Of the Jews unnerve him. 

374 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

But he knew not yet that faith 
Which is death-defying, 

And, for victory, not on man, 

But on God relying- ; 
See the few, the humble 
Make the mighty stumble ; 

And the yoke, 

Stroke on stroke, 
From the nation crumble. 

Kindling new the holy lamps, 

Priests, approved in suffering, 
Purified the nation's shrine, 

Brought to God their offering. 
And His courts surrounding 
Hear, in joy abounding, 
Happy throngs 
Chant their songs 
With a mighty sounding! 

Children of the Martyr-race, 
Whether free or fettered, 
Wake the echoes of those songs 

Where ye may be scattered \ 
Yours the message cheering, 
That the time is nearing 
Which shall see 
All men free, 
Tyrants disappearing. G. G. 

375 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIV. $<xwQUt, 

I. 



And the Lord spake to Moses : Go unto Pharao 
and speak to him : Let my people go free, that they 
may serve me. — Exodus viii. i. 



O^MERICA, to my mind, the first country where the 
^-* oppressed of every land found a home, was the 
great civil organization that regarded it to be her mis- 
sion to uplift all men to the dignity of self-government 
and to implant in their hearts a profound love and 
reverence for law and order; for America trusted the 
people who, when educated, would see their true happi- 
ness to lie in industrial and peaceable pursuits. It 
seemed to me that America had made a mighty depart- 
ure from what ruled in the civilized nations of Europe, 
where the few were rich and powerful, the many poor 
and dependent, and had established herself upon that 
principle which lies at the foundation of all true national 
greatness — the equality of man. 

Father Sylyester Malone. 

ANCIENT MELODY. 
yJVOD of Might, 
^God of Right, 

Thee we give all glory ! 
Thine the praise 
In our days 

(As in ages hoary), 
When we hear, 
Year by year, 

Our redemption's story. 

376 



SUN AND SI HE LD. 



Now as erst, 
When Thou first 

Mad'st the proclamation, 
Warning loud 
Ev'ry proud, 

Ev'ry tyrant nation, 
We Thy fame 
Still proclaim, 

Ciod of our salvation. 

G. G. 



XXV. 



Continuation. 



II. 



Keeping the law is multiplying offerings, and tak- 
ing heed to the Commandments, is offering a peace- 
offering. He that requiteth a good turn offereth line 
flour, and he that giveth alms a thank-offering. To 
depart from unrighteousness is a propitiation. — Eccle- 
siasticus. 



CjN^lAj would be in vain were my life not devoted to 
the interest of my fellow-men. No matter how 
the priest may regard all other considerations, here is 
one he cannot ignore without losing his lawful standing 
before God and men. It is to treat with all men on 
just and fair principles; to know them only as they are, 
men endowed by their Creator with attributes of won- 
derful power and greatness that lift us all to the very 
throne of God. Trulv, in God we live and move and 

377 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

have our being. And when men realize this truth and 
see its application, they must logically be drawn to Him 
whom they see, man, and to Him whom they do not 
see, save in His creatures, and warmed into love and 
praise of His sacred majesty. I have done in my sphere 
of life all I could to help the individual, irrespective 
of nationality or creed or color. 

Father Sylvester Malone. 

^frND thus to heaven our pleading accents call, 
\VV May wrong and strife among us disappear, 
And when their sacred rights are given to all, 
May truth and love lead in a golden year. 

¥ 

XXVI. Continuation. 

III. 

Talk no more so exceeding proudly ; let not 
arrogancy come out of your mouth ; for the Lord is a 
God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed. 
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they 
that stumbled are guirded with strength. — /. Samuel 

»• 3> 4- 

^ET one resolution be mine. Whatsoever else thou 
puttest on, be thou, O my soul, clothed with 
humility. Whatever else thou wearest, let this be the 
garment which wraps thee from head to foot, the near- 
est and closest of all. Exchange thou this for no other, 
though, to use the language of an Eastern Sage, the 
mantle of chosroes were offered thee in its stead. 

Richard Ch. Trench. 

378 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

No man had ever a point of pride that was not in- 
jurious to him. The stag in the fable admired his horns 
and blamed his feet, but when the hunter came, his feet 
saved him, and, afterwards caught in the thicket, his 
horns destroyed him. Emerson. 

I am a man and I deem nothing human alien to me. 

Terence. 

The Church-Father Augustine relates that when 
these words were first heard from the stage, the 
audience, though many of them rude and ignorant, broke 
out into thunders of applause. 

./CATHER and Helper ! plant within each bosom 
j-jl The seeds of holiness, and bid them blossom 
In fragrance and in beauty bright and vernal, 
And spring eternal. 

Then place them in Thine everlasting gardens, 
Where angels walk, and seraphs are the wardens ; 
Where every flower, escaped through death's dark portal, 
Becomes immortal. 

xxvii. ft>rin#£ime- 

IV. 

Observe the month of Abeeb (Spring) and keep 
the Passover unto the Lord ; for in the month of Abeeb 
the Lord God brought thee forth out of Egypt by 
night. — Deuteronomy xvi, i. 

379 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

T^HRICE blessed Spring ! thou bearest gifts divine? 
Sunshine and song and fragrance, all are thine. 
Nor unto earth alone, — 
Thou hast a blessing for the human heart, 
Balm for its wounds, and healing for its smart, 

Telling of winter flown ; 
And bringing hope upon thy rainbow wing, 
Type of eternal life — thrice blessed Spring ! 

William H. Burleigh. 



When, after a long, frigid, barren winter, the spring 
comes and loves the earth a little while, how wondrous 
is the change that takes place ! When the month of 
May comes and sits upon the North as a bird upon her 
nest, there comes forth from under its feathers sounds 
of new life; the forest echoes with the voices of joyous 
songsters ; the roots start ; the grass grows ; the air 
smells sweet ; all things are full of richness and beauty. 
Just so it is when spring comes to the soul — when the 
heart is touched with the power of love. How in- 
stantly, under such circumstances, does there grow up 
beauty, and fitness, and satisfaction ! When it is human 
heart that touches human heart, what a wondrous spring 
it brings ! But, oh, when it is the heart of God that 
brings spring to our hearts ; when it is the heart of God 
that sets every root, and every bud, and every leaf in us 
a-growing, how wondrous is the beauty that is evoked ! 
how wondrous is the promise of fruit that is held out ! 

Henry W. Beecher. 
380 



SUN AND SHIELD 

Jf*HE l)lue sky is the temple's arch, 
^' [ts transept, earth and air; 
The music of its starry march 

The chorus of a prayer. 
So nature keeps the reverend frame 

With which her years began, 
And all her signs and voices shame 

The prayerless heart of man. 

XXVIII. Continuation. 

V. 



Behold, all souls are mine ; as the soul of the 
father, so also the soul of the son. The soul that 
sinneth, it shall die. — Ezekiel xviii. 4. 



*1 WILL look upon the whole world as my country, and 
** upon God as both the witness and judge of my actions. 
I will live and die with this testimony — that I never in- 
vaded another man's freedom and that I preserved my 
own. Seneca. 

God, who creates and inspires men, willed that they 
should be equal. He made them all capable of wisdom; 
He imposed the same laws upon all and He has 
promised immortality to all. As He furnished food for 
all and gives the sweet repose of sleep to all, so does He 
give capacity for virtue to all. With Him no one is a 
slave and no one is master. He is the Father of all, and 
we are all, by equal right, His children. 

Lactantius. 
381 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



O* AVE us from misguided zeal, 
^W Save us from unholy strife, 
From the sin that dares lay hand 
On the soul's godhidden life. 

Save us from the ancient curse 
Of the tyrant's iron rod, 
That, as freemen, we may bend 
To Thy yoke, O righteous God. 

Gladsome songs shall hail Thy name 
From a people, wholly Thine, 
And the incense of Thy praise 
Rise from ev'ry inward shrine. 

G. G. 



XXIX. Continuation. 

VI. 



Remember this and show yourselves men. . . , 
Remember the former things of old. . . . 
My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleas- 
ure. — Isaiah xlvi. <?, 10. 



^YlILL any say: The prophetic vision of Israel has 
been hopelessly mixed with folly and bigotry; 
the angel of progress has no message for Judaism ! — it 
is a half-buried city for the paid workers to lay open— 
the waters are rushing by it as a forsaken field? I say 
that the strongest principle of growth lies in human 
choice. . . . The Nile overflowed and rushed on- 

382 



SUA AND SHIELD. 

ward; the Egyptian could not close the overflow, but 
he chose to work and make channels for the fructifying 

waters, and Egypt became the land of corn. Shall man, 
whose soul is set in the royalty of discernment and 
resolve, deny his rank, and say: I am an onlooker, ask- 
no choice of purpose of me? The divine principle of 
our race is action, choice, resolved memory. Let us 
will our own better future and the better future of the 
world. The vision is there, it will be fulfilled. 

From "Daniel Deronda " by George Eliot. 

/JAXCE the morning's earliest light 
^^ Brought Thy mercy to my sight, 
And my wakeful song was heard 
Later than the evening bird ; 
I last Thou all my prayers forgot? 
Dost Thou scorn or hear them not ? 
Why, my soul, art thou perplexed? 
Why with faithless trouble vexed? 
Hope in God, whose saving name 
Thou shalt joyfully proclaim ; 
When His countenance shall shine 
Through the clouds that darken thine. 

XXX. Continuation. 

VII. 

For thus hath the Lord said unto me : Go, set a 
watchman, let him declare what he seeth. . . . 
And he cried : My Lord, I stand continually upon 
the watch-tower in the daytime, and I am set in my 
ward whole nights. — Isaiah xxi. 6, 8. 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

ATANDING here as this day's sentries, 
^ Set to watch our little time, 
Let us hear the past and future 

Calling us to deeds sublime. . 
Children of heroic fathers, 

We the future's sires must be; 
And the coming generations 

Look to us to make them free. 

Let us hold our lines not only, — 

Hear the order to advance ! 
Grasp the shield of Faith not only, — 

Lift on high Truth's flaming lance ! 
Fight for every hope that's human, 

Fight to shatter every chain, 
Fight till every man and woman 

Owneth heart and soul and brain. 

By the Ancient's long endeavor, 

By the Honorable's fame, 
By our race and by our country, 

By each high and noble name, 
By the God of hosts who leads us, 

By the future's dawning light, 
Swear to stand and swear to struggle 

Till earth's might shall mean its right! 

Minot J. Savage. 

When you are in a cause, see if, when you sound it, 
it touches the bottom — God Almighty; and if you find 

384 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

a truth, as everlasting as God, stand by it, talk of it; 
and if men would muzzle you, talk on. Talk living 
and die talking, and make other men talk. There is 
harm that can come from talking of things that ought 
not to be harmed. The only risk is in reticence — in 
guilty silence. Henry W. Beecher. 



xxxi. gfatoa®. 

tfeast of tbe Iftevelatton. 

O ye that love the Eternal, see that ye hate the 
thing that is evil; to him that ordereth his conversa- 
tion right, shall be shown the salvation of God. 



Tf^HE whole history of the world to this day is in 
truth one continual establishing of this Old Testa- 
ment Revelation. And whether we consider it in 
respect to human affairs at large or in respect to indi- 
vidual happiness, in either case its importance is so 
immense that the people to whom it was given and 
whose record is in the Bible, deserve fully to be singled 
out as the Bible singles them. For while other nations 
had the misleading idea that this or that, other than 
righteousness, is saving, and it is not; that this or that, 
other than conduct, brings happiness, and it does not — 
Israel had the true idea that Righteousness is saving 
and that to conduct belongs happiness. Nor let it be 
said that other nations, too, had at least something of 

385 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

this idea. They had, but they were not possessed with 
it; and to feel it enough, to make the world feel it, it 
was necessary to be possessed with it. ... ' This is 
why the testimonies of righteousness are Israel's heritage 
for ever; they were the very joy of his heart. Herein 
Israel stood alone, the friend and elect of the eternal. 

Matthew Arnold. 

Tj^HY word a wondrous guiding star 
^^ On pilgrim hearts doth rise, 
Leads to their Lord who dwells afar 
And makes the simple wise. 

Let not its light 

E'er sink in night, 
But still in every spirit shine 
That none may miss Thy light divine. 

XXXII. Confirmation. 

Neither with you only do I make this covenant 
and this oath ; but with him that standeth here with 
us this day before the Lord, our God, and also with 
him that is not here with us this day. — Deuteronomy 
xxix. 14, ij. 

^ORD ! from pole to pole rebounding 
Tidings of Thy name are sounding; 
Splendors bright 
Praise Thy might, 
High in heaven's tent unfurled. 
Spheres along 
Soundeth song, 
Praising Thee from world to world. 

386 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

More than songs of spheres, yea even 
More than praises sung in heaven, 

Thee as sole 

God extol 
Children, pure and guileless now, 

Thee they all 

Father call 
And to praise Thee ever vow. 

Hearken then this day with pleasuie 
To our children's lisping measure, 

As like birds 

Heavenw r ards 
Soar their hearts from earth's chains free ; 

And each breast, 

Glad and blest, 
Offers joyful prayers to Thee. 

And thus, to Thy heights ascending, 
Let our humble pleas be wending; 

Hear, O hear, 

As we near, 
To our prayers fulfillment grant; 

We would fain 

Blessings gain 
For faith's holy covenant. 

(7>.) Addie Funk, 



O give me Samuel's ear, 
The open ear, o Lord, 

387 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Alive and quick to hear 
Each whisper of Thy word ; 
Like him to answer at Thy call, 
And so obey Thee, first of all. 

O give me Samuel's heart, 

A lowly heart that waits, 

Where in Thy home Thou art, 

Or watches at Thy gates, 

By day and night, a heart that still, 

Moves at the breathing of Thy will. 

O give me Samuel's mind, 

His sweet, unmurmuring faith, 

Obedient and resigned 

To Thee in life and death; 

That I may read with childlike eyes 

Truths that make the simple wise. 

(Slightly changed.) J. D. Bosthwick. 

¥ 

XXXI I L ZiBfa (g'&B. 

/Ifeourning for Zion. 

Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith the Lord. 
— Isaiah xl. i. 



5)HALL I sorrow, oh, desolate city, 
^ For thy beauty and glory o'erthrown? 
Shall I sing the dread day of destruction, 
When thy sins thou didst dearly atone? 

388 



SUN AND SIl/I:/ J). 

When the shrieks of the daughters of Zion 
Sad echoed the shouts of the foe; 

And thy streets, ravished city, ran crimson 
With the blood of thy sons, lying low? 

Or, shall I rejoice in the beauty 

And glory again to be thine, 
When thy youth's loving bridegroom shall ransom 

His promise of comfort divine ? — 
When the rites of thy temple new builded 

With God shall find grace as of old, 
And monarchs shall hasten with offerings 

Of incense, and jewels, and gold ? 

My thoughts on this day of sad memories 

Turn not back to the past in despair, 
But forward in hope, to the future 

Where visions of glory shine fair ! 
When I read in the book of the prophet 

Who voiced fallen Zion's distress — 
I seek not alone words of grieving 

But those rarer that comfort and bless. 

(Sel.) Solomon Solis-Cohen. 



And thou, O Israel, shalt swear : The Lord liveth, 
in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness ; and the 
nations shall bless themselves in God, and in Him 
shall they glory. — Jeremiah iv. 2. 



389 



£0e {Community. 



I will praise the Lord with my whole heart in the 
assembly of the upright and in the congregation. — 
Psalms cxi. i 



(Refigton anb (puBfic (Wtorafitg. 



Where there is no vision of the guiding Seer, the 
people become unrestrained ; if they keep the law, 
it will be well with them. — Proverbs xxix. 18. 



A\F all the dispositions and habits which lead to polit- 
ical prosperity, religion and morality are the indis- 
pensable supports. In vain would that man claim the 
tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert those 
pillars of human happiness, those firmest props of the 
duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally 
with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish 
them. A volume could not trace all their connections 
with private and public felicity. Let us, with caution, 
indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained 
without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the in- 
fluence of refined education on minds of peculiar struct- 
ure, reason and experience, both, forbid us to expect 
that national morality can prevail in exclusion of relig- 
ious principle. 

Washington's Farewell Address. 

/A- ROM every doubt and fear, O Lord, 
\J In mercy set us free, 
While in the confidence of prayer 
Our hearts draw near to Thee. 

393 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



In all our trials, struggles, joys, 

Teach us Thy love to see ; 
Which, by the discipline of life, 

Would draw us unto Thee. 

II . tU QUfuraf ©irecftono of C04t% 

Thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand 
from thy poor brother ; but thou shalt open thy hand 
wide unto him. — Deuteronomy xv. 7, 8. 

fY\ OTHING seems much clearer than the natural direc- 
^ tion of charitv. Would we all but relieve, accord- 
ing to the measure of our means, those objects im- 
mediately within the range of our personal knowledge, 
how much of the worst evil of poverty might be alle- 
viated ! Very poor people who are known to us to have 
been honest and industrious, when industry was in their 
power, have a claim on us, founded on our knowledge 
and on neighborhood, things which have in themselves 
something sacred and endearing to every good heart. 
One cannot, surely, always pass by the lone wayside 
beggar without occasionally giving him an alms. Old, 
careworn, pale, drooping and emaciated creatures, who 
pass us by without looking beseechingly at us, or even 
lifting up their eyes from the ground, cannot often be 
met with without exciting an interest in us for their 
silent and unobtrusive sufferings or privations. . . . 
These are duties all men owe to distress, they are easily 
discharged ; and even such tender mercies are twice 
blessed. T. Chalmers. 

394 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

1ST AD I the tongues of Greeks and Jews 
JmtJ And nobler speech than angels use, 
If love be absent, I am found 
Like tinkling brass, an empty sound. 

¥ 

HI. ^a^TBeff anb ©o*T»eff. 

Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds- 
slack and remiss. — Eeclesiasticus v. 2* 



Cgay-well and do-well, they are things twain; 
^* Thrice happy is he in whom both reign. 

Say-well is ruled by man some deal ; 
Do-well doth wholly to God appeal. 
Say- well saith goodly, and doth many please; 
Do-well liveth godly and doth the world ease 

Say-well doth many to God's word cleave, 
But for lack of Do-well they quickly leave. 
If Say-well and Do- well were joined in a frame, 
All were won, all were done, got were the game, 

Say-well in hand doth many things take, 
Do-well an end of them doth make; 
Where Say-well with many is quite downcast. 
Do-well is trusty and will stand fast. 

Say-well in danger of death is cold: 
Do-well is earnest and wondrous bold; 
Where Say-well for shame shall hide his face, 
Do-well shall triumph in every place. 

Anon. 

395 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



IV. Zfc QntUBB of $}um<xn (gUptwtftone. 



praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him all 
ye people. For His merciful kindness is great towards 
us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endureth for ever. 

— Psalms cxvii. 



*t HAVE wandered quite away from my intention, 
V which was to show the place of hymns in the great 
religions since Moses sang and the redeemed people 
responded and Miriam led the maiden chorus and dances, 
with her jingling timbrel, on the shores of the Red Sea. 
" In hymns, on earth, the saints are one." Mont- 
gomery said that about prayer, and, at bottom, it is so. 
But it is surely so in hymns. Most of our difficulties 
about religion are born in the head, I mean the skull 
with its eyes and ears. The difficulties are of earth, 
earthy. Probably most Christians, if they could drop 
the clay, would see at once that they are all meaning 
about the same thing, and would be much ashamed of 
what they often thought they meant. 

Charles H. Hall. 

rt,ET the people praise the Lord ! 
f£ Let Thy love on all be poured ; 
Let awakened nations sing 
Glory to their heavenly King ; 
At Thy feet their tribute pay, 
And Thy holy will obey. 

396 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



V. Zfyt JWg of gumtfifg. 



The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord, and 
the lowly among men shall rejoice in the Holy One 
of Israel — Isaiah xxix. ig. 



"IP^E that is humble-minded hastens to serve God, but 
^J he never boasts of it; neither does he despise the 
least part of what appertains to God's service, whilst the 
proud one delays his religious duties. Be, therefore, 
mindful thou place humility before thine eyes; strive 
continually to acquire it, implore God's help thereto, 
and beg Him to lead thee to it in order to perform His 
will, and He will set thee in the right path thereto, and 
make thy way plain before thee, as we Israelites are 
praying daily: " O, my God, guard my tongue from 
evil, and my lips from speaking guile ; and to such as 
curse me, let my soul be dumb, yea, let my soul be unto 
all as dust." Beware of the thoughts of thy heart and 
of the temptations into which arrogance and ambition may 
lead thee. God has, in His Word, shown us the way to 
this grace in the prayer : Two things have I required of 
Thee, O God. Remove far from me vanity and lies . . . 
lest I be full and deny Thee and say : who is the Lord ? 
or lest I steal or take the name of God in vain. 

Bachiah ib'n Pakudah, 
XL Century. 

H|TlHEN all is done, learn this, my son : 

Not friend nor skill, nor wit nor will, 
Nor ship nor clod, but only God 
Doth all in all. 



397 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



Man taketh the pain, God giveth gain ; 
Man doth his best, God giveth rest ; 
Man well intends, God plenty sends 
Else want he shall. 



VI. £oufs£an% 



They that trust in their wealth and boast them- 
selves in the multitude of their riches, none of them 
can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God 
a ransom for him. — Psalm xlijc. 6> 7. 



/ftTET thyself the love of thy congregation and bow thy 
head before the great one in learning and piety. 

Deliver him that suffereth wrong from the hand of 
his oppressor, and be not faint-hearted when thou sittest 
in judgment. 

Watch thine opportunity, but beware of being drawn 
into evil ways. 

Never be ruled by false shame when it concerns the 
well-being of thy soul; for there is a shame that bring- 
eth sin, and there is a shame which is both, grace and 
glory. 

Consider no person against thy soul, and let respect 
of no one cause thee to fall 

In no w T ise speak against the truth ; be not ashamed 
to confess thy sins. Make not thyself an underling to a 
foolish man. 

Strive for truth unto death and the Lord will fight for 
thee. Ecclesiasticus. 

398 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the 
whole world and lose his own soul ? or what shall a man 
give in exchange for his soul ? New Testament. 

yfe,NOUGH, if something from our bands have power 
^^ To live, and act, and serve the future hour ; 

And if, as toward the silent tomb we go, 
Through love, through hope, and faith's transcendent dower 

We feel that we are greater than we know. 



VII. J&ertnng (Bob — (practiced (geftgton. 

Thou art the rock of our lives, the shield of our 
salvation, through every generation. We praise Thee 
for our lives which are committed unto Thy hand, and 
for our souls which are in Thy keeping, and for Thy 
wonders which are daily wrought for us. Thee will 
we serve and Thee alone worship. — Hebrew Liturgy. 



AERVING of the Lord constitutes real personal relig- 
^""" ion — constant worship of the Holy God by much 
secret prayer, and by still more praise, the going out of 
our souls to Him in holy communion all the day 
through, whether our hands be busy or not, or our 
minds engaged in intellectual toil, or in lawful relaxa- 
tion. It is the unceasing desire to do right, a vivid 
though not morbid dread of temptation, and most 
earnest aspiration to be made utterly sincere and truth- 
ful and trustworthy in one's very soul. I tell you 

399 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

honestly, I see no road but this which can lead us back 
again into the good old paths, in which the faithful of 
old time walked as they prayed, " Make in me a clean 
heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." 
" Search me, O God, and try the ground of my heart; 
prove me and examine my thoughts. Look well if there 
be any way of wickedness in me, and lead me in the 
way everlasting." For herein you get the best security 
for the outward service of God in the service of man. 
Cleanse the spring and the stream will be pure. Sanc- 
tify the heart and you make holy the life. 

Charles Voysey. 

Jr^ FATHER, King, whose heavenly face 
^J Shines serene on all Thy race, — 
We Thy magnificence adore, 
And Thy well-known aid implore ; 
Nor vainly for Thy help we call, 
Nor can we want, for Thou art all. 

Eupolis. 
{Greek.) 

viii. JuffHfffc <W0oie %m. 

Thus saith the Lord of hosts : Put your burnt- 
offerings to your sacrifices and eat flesh ; for I spake 
not unto your fathers .... concerning offerings 
and sacrifices ; but I commanded them : Obey my 
voice and I will be your God and ye shall be my 
people ; and walk ye in all the ways that T have com- 
manded you, that it may be well with you.— Jeremiah 
vii. 2iy 23. 

400 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

^YYlE are somewhat disposed to commiserate the 
blinded Israelites and, in a semi-hnmble manner, 
but with great intensity of meaning, congratulate our- 
selves in our singular privileges. But we should give 
heed to one law that rules in all privileges, which is: 
that the possession of them always brings just so much 
responsibility, so that they who really have them, and 
appreciate them, are always humbled by them. And 
another rule holds good: One man with one talent may 
win heaven by it and another man with ten talents may 
lose it. 

Jeremiah probably felt intensely the need of sacrifice 
and ordinances — the grand duty to keep all the law and 
fulfill it to the uttermost. But that very closeness and 
strictness of observance deepened in him the conviction 
of the purity and unity of the one great overmastering 
law, which is itself the reason for all others and in 
which all other laws end. " Obey my voice — walk in 
all my ways and I will be your God and I will heal 
you." 

Charles H. Hall. 

OfV^RITE Thy law upon my heart, 

Inwardly abiding, 
Make it of my life a part, 

Still my footsteps guiding. 
Till I in Thy courts appear 
And to fall no longer fear. 



401 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



IX. <S>at>ib <xnb $e §&wtt §&in%m (&ffer J)im. 



Sing unto the Lord, O ye pious ones, and give 
thanks at the remembrance of His name . . . 
to the end that my glory (my soul) may sing praise to 
Thee and not be silent. . . . — Psahns xxx. 4, 12. 



Tf'HE world has been changed by David's harp. He 
rose, as the sweet psalmist of Israel, into the 
empyrean, and has given language and melody to all 
that is best and purest in human heart. He gave Na- 
ture a voice; all the waves of the sea and the great 
mountains and rushing winds are heard to praise God. 
He voiced the loftiest aspirations and added music to 
the wailings of a repentant race. He sang pastoral 
symphonies for those who wander in green pastures and 
by still waters, and songs of courage for those who are 
terrified by earthquakes and storms. He wailed for 
penitents and for people burdened with care, sorrow 
and disappointment. He fixed the gamut of Church 
song to the end of time, and touched notes so sublime, 
that smaller men have been ever since repeating them; 
notes which, if there be anything earthly which is 
immortal, will be carried by our souls into any world 
where we can ever breathe again. We thank God for 
him and for every sweet singer since, and for what they 
have done for us. Charles H. Hall. 

^RAVELLER, in the stranger's land, 
^^ Far from thine own household band ; 
Mourner, haunted by the tone 
Of a voice from this world gone ; 

402 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Captive, in whose narrow cell 
Sunshine has no leave to dwell ; 
Sailor, on the darkening sea — 

Lift the heart and bend the knee ! 

X. TEotbs of Counsel 

Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet 
wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in 
knowledge. — Proverbs ix. g. 



3T is not the place that honoreth tne man, out the man 
that honoreth the place. 

Do not consider thyself a giant, and thy neighbor 
small as a locust. 

He who covets things that are not rightfully his, will 
not only be disappointed in his wish, but even lose the 
things that are rightfully his. 

Let a man be yielding like the reed in the wind, not 
hard and unbending like the cedar ; let him be the first 
to restrain his tongue in a dispute, the first also to for- 
give and to forget what was spoken hastily and in anger. 

Even calumniators honor truth, knowing, as they do, 
that, unless they mix some truth with their falsehoods, 
they would never be believed at all. 

He who listens to the talebearer and backbiter, shares 
his sin ; for it is the willing ear that sets the tongue in 
motion. 

He who takes no part in the sorrows and burdens of 
the community, will have no share in the joys and re- 
wards when they come. The Pharisees. 

4°3 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



/\V^ Y God, Thou art my glorious Sun 
Vi" By whose bright beam I shine ; 
As Thou, Lord, ever art with me, 
Let me be ever Thine. 

Thou art my living fountain t Lord, 

Whose streams on me do flow ; 
Myself I render unto Thee, 

To whom myself I owe. 

¥ 

X I . ©tB&ppomtmenf 0. 



Thou, O God, bringest down to the grave and 
bringest up ... . He bringeth low and lifteth 
up. — /. Samuel ii. J, 6. 



O^ND a certain man found Joseph, and, behold, he 
^ was wandering in the field, and the man asked 
him, saying: What seekest thou? and he said: I seek 
my brethren; tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their 
flock. 

Poor lad ! brethren he sought, murderers he found. 
What a picture of disappointment ! what thoughts must 
have crowded his brain when he lay bewildered in his 
pit ; and yet was this sinking into the depth the first 
step to his rising, as he himself acknowledged to his 
brothers : Ye meant it for evil, but God meant it for 
good. 

An Eastern saying affirms: The flames into which 
Abraham was cast by Nimrod, according to tradition, 
turned into beds of roses and jessamine. 



4°4 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

It is not often that we find out at the beginning what 
God meant when He casts us into the pit of suffering; 
we must be content to know that He always means 
something, and what but final and lasting good can that 
be? G. G. 

Of^NOW well, my soul, God's hand controls 
** Whate'er thou fearest ; 
Round Him in calmest music rolls 
Whate'er thou hearest. 

What to thee is shadow, to Him is day, 

And the end He knoweth, 
And not on a blind and aimless way 

The spirit goeth. 

¥ 

XII. (Bob'0 (Biff, tfc gpixit'BZfrifL 

Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold won- 
drous things out of Thy Law. — Psalms cxix. 18. 

Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsel- 
lors. — Psalms cxix. 24. 



fYJ EAD and read again (the Bible), and do not despair 
^ of help to understand something of the will and 
mind of God, though you think they are fast locked up 
from you. Neither trouble your head though you have 
not commentaries and expositions; pray and read^ and 
read and pray; for a little from God is batter than a 
great deal from men; also what is from men is un- 
certain, and is often lost and tumbled over and over by 
men ; but what is from God is fixed as a nail in a sure 

405 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

place. There is nothing that so abides with us as what 
we receive from God ; things that we receive at God's 
hand come to us as things from the minting house, 
though old in themselves, yet new to us. Old truths 
are always new to us, if they come to us with the smell 
of Heaven upon them. John Bunyan. 

* * ni? HAT is ttis that stirs within > 

Loving goodness, hating sin, 
Always craving to be blest, 
Finding here below no rest ? 

" What is it ? whither, whence, 
This unsleeping, secret sense, 
Seeking for its rest and food 
In some hidden, untried good ? 

" 'Tis the soul, — mysterious name, 
Him it seeks from whom it came ; 
While I muse, I feel the fire 
Burning on, and mounting higher. 

" Onward, upward to Thy throne, 
O Thou Infinite, Unknown ! 
Still it presseth, till it see 
Thee in all, and all in Thee ! " 

¥ 

XIII. goto to <Bit>e <xr& to Z<xU Coumtl 

Then I said: Wisdom is better than strength; 
nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised and 
his words are not heard. The words of the wise 
man are heard in quiet, more than the cry of him 
that ruleth among fools. — Ecclesiastes ix. 16, ij. 

406 



SUN AXD SHIELD. 

£1PEAK, thou that art the elder, for it becometh 
^ thee, but let it be with sound knowledge; and 
hinder not music. Display not thy wisdom out of sea- 
son. Sum up thy speech, many things in few words. 
Be as one that knoweth, yet holdeth his tongue. If 
thou be among great men, behave not as their equal. 
Before a shamefast man favor shall go forth, as light- 
ning goes before thunder. 

Do nothing without counsel; and when thou hast 
once done, repent not. Be in peace with many; never- 
theless have but one counsellor of a thousand. A 
faithful friend is the medicine of life; and they that 
fear the Lord find him. Forsake not an old friend for 
a new one; the new is not comparable to him. A 
new friend is as new wine; when it is old thou shalt 
drink of it with pleasure. Strive not with a man that 
is full of tongue, and heap not wood upon his fire. 

Jest not with a rude man lest thy ancestors be dis- 
graced. ECCLESIASTICUS. 



^TTE that is of reason's skill bereft, 

r~J And wants the staff of wisdom him to stay, 

Is like a ship in midst of tempest left, 

Without a helm or pilot her to sway ; 

Full sad and dreadful is that ship's event : 

So is the man that wants intendiment. 



407 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XIV. 



(peace, t0e §xuit of (ftooonesB. 

All other blessings avail nothing where there is no 
peace. — The Pharisees. 



3N our ancient books it is written: " The Lord says: 
The poor man sits in his bare chamber ahungered 
or sick and in his loneliness murmurs against Me; then 
comest thou and pitiest him and givest him of thy sub- 
stance and comfortest him with thy kindly speech and 
behold, he ceases to murmur and says : God has not cast 
me off, and His mercy is, indeed, over all His creatures. 
Thus hast thou made peace between Me and him and 
for this thou shalt have thy reward." 

This explains the meaning of the other teaching: 
Let your light so shine before men that they may see 
your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. 
Back of both these beautiful sayings lies the word of 
the Psalmist: Blessed is he who considereth the poor, 
in the day of evil the Lord will save him. Considereth 
— mark it — not merely throws his alms to him or feeds 
and covers him, but tries to save him and his manhood 
and to lift him out of his misery. By such thoughtful 
charity peace is restored, as between God and man, so 
also between man and man and all kinds of social war- 
1 fare ended for ever. G. G. 

/\V| Y God, tne spring of all my joys, 
Vi' * The life of my delights ; 
The glory of my brightest days 
And comfort of my nights — 

408 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



In darkest shades, if Thou appear, 

My dawning is begun : 
Thou art my soul's sweet morning star — 

Thou art my rising sun. 



XV Efenfceb (Rdbiance. 



Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the 
city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness. 

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, 
the city of the great King. — Psalms xlviii. i, 2. 



|T[J EASON and faith are two flames, each shining with 
^ its own light; but what brightness when blended in 
one radiance ! This is what Israel's fundamental teach- 
ing imparts: The beginning and end of wisdom is the 
fear of God; to this let us hold, brethren! Much that 
seemed firmly established in our religion is gradually 
fading away; many a blossom, erstwhile rich in color, 
droops, and, broken from the old stem, is driven before 
the wind — but the tree itself remains, full of sap and 
flourishing. Be not discouraged, as it was in the past, 
so it will be in the future. The spirit of the Lord re- 
veals itself in diverse ways at diverse times. One thing, 
however, you must take to heart, brethren: our own 
energy must not fail, our own step must not falter! 
Through centuries Israel marched with his face set 
towards the golden city of a redeemed and peaceful 

409 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

humanity; let there be no turning back or faintheart- 
edness on our part ! Abraham Geiger. 

* 4 /VV E W occasions teach new duties. 

vj, Time makes ancient good uncouth, 
They must upward still, and onward, 

Who would keep abreast of truth. 
Lo, before us gleam her campfires ! 

We ourselves must pilgrims be, 
Launch our Mayflower and steer boldly 

Through the desperate winter sea, 
Nor attempt the future's portals 

With the Past's blood-rusted key." 

¥ 

XVI. Zfc (Refuge of QXpxi$tnm. 

O, keep my soul, and deliver me ; let me not be 
ashamed : for I wait on Thee ! Let integrity and up- 
rightness preserve me, for I wait on Thee. — Psalms 

XXV. 20, 21. 



7t"HE Bible is the book that has been woven into all 
that is noblest in English history .... It 
is the Magna Charta of the poor and the oppressed. 
. . . Down to modern times no state had a con- 
stitution in which the duties, so much more than the 
privileges, of rulers are insisted on as that drawn up 
for Israel in Deuteronomy and Leviticus. Nowhere is 
the fundamental truth that the welfare of the State, in 
the long run, depends upon the uprightness of the 
citizens so strongly laid down. Thomas H. Huxley. 

410 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



'fflTELP me, Holy Lord, 
J^J Shapei of earth and heaven, 

And of their wondrous all, 
My glory — King ! 
Eternal Lord! 
Hearken, great God — 
Lo, I do trust to Thee 
Uody and soul, 
Words and works, 
And all my divers thoughts. 

wise God, 
Giver of light ! 

1 pray Thee, betoken, 



Lord ! to my soul 
1 low I may needfully 

Mark Thy great will ; 
Live- to Thee only, 

hfast King! 
And in my heart 
Good rede upraise, 
O give me time, my God, 
And a wise heart ; 
Give me a will to bear, 
A mind to heed 
All that, O faithful Lord, 
Thou dost in trial send. 

Old English, 



XVII 



Q0e CixcnmBptct 



We beseech Thee, O Lord, our God, let us not 
be in need either of the gifts of flesh and blood or of 
their loans, but only of Thy helpful hand, which is 
full, open, holy and ample, so that we may never be 
ashamed or confounded. — Jewish Prayer. 



r)|%E careful how you fall under obligation to men, the 
^^ best and kindest not excepted. Obligation is a 
debt incurred and you cannot know, at what time and 
in what manner you will be called upon to liquidate it ; 
it is a bond signed in blank ; the holder may fill in any 
amount and date he pleases. 

We readily "accept with pleasure" invitations to 
good actions ; but when the hour cometh to fulfill the 



4 ii 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

engagements, we readily find excuses for sending 
" regrets," sometimes neglect this rule of politeness; 
we simply stay away. G. G. 

Thank God every morning when you get up that you 
have something to do that day which must be done, 
whether you like it or not. Being forced to work, and 
forced to do your best, will breed in you temperance 
and self-control, diligence and strength of will, cheer- 
fulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the 
idle never know. Charles Kingsley. 

SUBDUED and instructed I bow to Thy will ; 
£■■# My hopes and my longings to Thee I resign ; 
O, give me the heart that can wait and be still, 
Nor know of a wish or a pleasure but Thine. 



XVIII. tru$ ^eff;(ptotectin3. 

The lip of truth shall be established for ever ; but 
a lying tongue is but for a moment. — Prov. xi. ig. 



7j"RUTH is always consistent with itself and needs 
nothing to help it out ; it is always near at hand 
and sits upon our lips and is ready to drop out before 
we are aware ; whereas a lie is troublesome, and sets a 
man's invention upon the rack : one trick needs a great 
many more to make it good. It is like building upon 

412 



SUjN and shield. 

a false foundation which constantly stands in need of 
props to shore it up and proves at last more charge; 

than to have raised a substantial building at first upon 
a true and solid foundation ; for sincerity is firm and 
substantial and fears no discovery; of which the crafty 
is always in danger. He is the last man that finds him- 
self to be found out ; and whilst he takes it for granted 
that he makes fools of others, he renders himself ridicu- 
lous. TlLLITSON. 

7j RUTH crushed to earth shall rise again, 
^^ The eternal years of God are hers ; 
But error, wounded, writhes in vain, 
And dies among her worshippers. 



XIX. £0e Wearer. 

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer 
among thy people ; neither shalt thou (by spreading 
evil reports) stand against the life of thy neighbor : I 
am the Lord, thy God. — Leviticus xix. 16. 



Ofl[BHOR the whisperer and double-tongued, for he 
^-" hath destroyed many that were at peace. The 
slanderous tongue hath shaken many and dispersed them 
from nation to nation ; and it hath pulled down cities 
and overthrown the houses of great men. It hath cast 
out brave women and deprived them of the fruits of 
their labors. He that hearkeneth unto it shall not find 

413 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

rest nor shall he dwell quietly ; the stroke of the whip 
maketh a mark in the flesh, but the stroke of the tongue 
will break bones. Many have fallen by the stroke of 
the sword, yet not so many as they that have fallen 
because of the tongue. Happy is he that is sheltered 
from it, that hath not passed through the wrath thereof; 
that hath not drawn its yoke, and hath not been bound 
with its bands ; for the yoke thereof is a yoke of iron, 
and the bands thereof are bands of brass. The death 
thereof is an evil death and Hades were better than it. 

ECCLESIASTICUS. 

jfc^ONDEMN not, judge not, — not to man 
^^ Is given his brother's faults to scan ; 
One task is thine, and one alone : 
To search out and subdue thine own. 

XX. <Wi*t Coutwef. 

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, 
and He delighteth in his way. — Psalms xxxvii. 23. 



<jj£)0 not separate thyself from the congregation and 
think not an isolated position marks the wiser 
and the better man. 

Rely not on thy spiritual strength till the day of thy 
death. 

Pass no judgment upon thy neighbor until thou hast 
put thyself in his stead. 

414 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Never excuse thyself from attending to thy spiritual 

advancement on the plea that thou wilt heed it when 
thou hast more leisure; perhaps that day will never 
come for thee. 

The more feasting, the more food for worms, 
The more riches, the more anxieties; 

but, 
The more knowledge, the more life; 
The more study, the more wisdom; 
The more reflection, the better counsel ; 
The more charity, the more peace: 
And he that gains a good name acquires that 
Which no misfortune can take from him. 

Three things are life-destroying evils: The envious 
eye, the evil-brooding heart and the hateful soul. 

Chapters of the Pharisaic Fathers. 

OfrND One thing further make him know, 
VJl/ That to believe these things are so, 
This firm faith never to forego, 
Despite of all which seems at strife 
With blessing, all with curses rife : 
That this is blessing, this is life. 

XXI. tempt (Uot (Bob. 

Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord, that de- 
lighteth greatly in His commandments. His offspring 
shall be mighty upon earth ; the generation of the up- 
right shall be blessed. — Psalms cxiu /, 2 

4' 5 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/ftTLAUCUS was esteemed a man of singular probity, 
and, having a large sum of money deposited in his 
hands and an opportunity of keeping it from the own- 
ers, if he would forswear himself, consulted the oracle 
at Delphi what he should do. When he had proposed 
his question, the priestess of Apollo answered thus : 

If present profit claim thy chief regard, 
Be bold and swear, and take the obvious prize ; 
Just dealings can not save thee from the grave. 
But the oath's guardian has a nameless son, 
Who, swift and strong, tho' without hand or foot, 
Pursues, o'ertakes and seizes and destroys 
The whole devoted race, whilst honest men 
Leave lasting blessings to their children's children. 

Glaucus, hearing this, entreated the god to forgive 
him what he had said. The priestess answered, "To 
tempt the god, and to commit the action, is all the same." 

Herodotus. 

/faTIVE forth thine earnest cry, 

O conscience, voice of God ! 
To young and old, to low and high, 
Proclaim His will abroad. 

Within the human breast 

Thy strong monitions plead 
Still thunder Thy divine protest 

Against th' unrighteous deed. 



416 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXII. ©otng Our <&u$t 



The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out 
water; therefore leave off contention, before it be 
meddled with. — Proverbs xvii. 14. 



Q£)Q not neglect to rectify evil because it may seem 
small ; for, though small at first, it may continue 
to grow until it overwhelms you. 

If a man does not strive to resist slight acts of injus- 
tice, he will soon find himself called upon to face the 
greatest wrongs. A river is formed by many small 
streams, a strong cord made by the union of many thin 
threads. A sapling whose roots have not struck deep, 
can be easily pulled up; but, if it be allowed to become 
a tree, it will be necessary to use an axe. 

Sayings of Mencius. 

Simply to do what we ought is an altogether higher, 
more potent, more creative thing than to write the 
grandest poem, paint the most beautiful picture, carve 
the mightiest statue, dream out the most enchanting 
combination of melody and harmony. Emerson. 

'JTTeLP us with man in peace to live, 
r~J Our brother's wrong in love forgive, 
And day and night temptation flee, 
Through strength that comes alone from Thee ; 
Thus will our spirits find their rest, 
In Thy deep peace for ever blest. 

417 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXIII. gfottm <mb <Buifefee0. 



Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice 
wicked works with men that work iniquity, and let 
me not eat of their dainties. Let the righteous smite 
me, it shall be a kindness ; and let him reprove me, 
it shall be an excellent oil. . . . — Psalms cxli. 4,5. 



* * *tN the Bay of Biscay may be seen flocks of pretty 
^ small marine birds which skim the face of the 
sea with unwearied pinions, gliding down its moist 
valleys and ascending its hissing hills, but never wetting 
a foot or a feather. Even so may man go up and down 
the world and remain unspotted from it." 



God bless the good-natured, for they bless everybody 
else. 

When the pure man dies, his soul sits down close to 
his head, praying: happy is the man who has been 
happiness to others. . Persian. 

Reputation is what men and women think of us; 
character is what God and angels know of us. 

Thomas Paine. 

^ET good will strengthen me for others' needs 
^* And time and place still serve for noble deeds, 
That piously the work of love be done 
As 'twas begun. 

Courage and zeal Thy will and work demand, 
O ! may the timid pretext never stand 
That for Thy purposes my strength may quail 
Or due time fail. 

418 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



xxiv. £fc Xfaxisu*. 



Because for Thy sake I have borne reproach, 
shame hath covered my faee. . . . For the zeal 
of Thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches 
of them that reproached Thee are fallen upon me. 
When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, 
that was my reproach. I made sack -cloth also my 
garment ; and I became a proverb to them. — Psabus 
Ixix. 7, g-11. 



Tj^HE Pharisees were but men, liable to all the failings 
of humanity; but their religion, even if carried 
beyond the Law, was honest and sincere. The laxity 
and indifference of the multitude compelled a greater 
degree of strictness; they were forced to raise around 
them a wall of exclusiveness, lest they, too, should fall. 
They beheld the awful evils creeping steadily amidst all 
ranks, and was it strange that they should have encour- 
aged an unsocial spirit and held themselves aloof ? 
They beheld foreign manners and customs destroying 
the nationality of their people and land; that the law 
of their God, which they justly held supreme, was dis- 
regarded; and was it unnatural that they should seclude 
themselves, proud of their spiritual superiority, or that 
their attachment to their land and temple should 
increase in passionate intensity, as they beheld it 
often trampled upon and desecrated by foreigners ? 

Grace Aguilar. 

419 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

t '7T' IS death in life Thy standard to desert ; 
^^ 'Tis life in death Thy power to assert. 
Yet passeth me, how I Thy grace shall gain, 
How prove my faith, Thy service how attain ? 
Lead me, O Lord ! upon Thy tranquil way, 
Deliver me from folly's tempting sway. 

XXV. $ n erforfoton. 



The stone which the builders refused has become 
the headstone of the corner. — Psalms cxviii. 22. 



OftlHEN Mattathias had ruled one year he fell very 
sick and called for his sons and set them round 
about him and said: " O, my sons, I am going the way 
of all flesh, and I commend to you my resolution and 
my command to preserve the customs of your country 
and to recover your ancient polity which is in danger of 
being upset; and not be seduced by those that betray 
it, either from their own inclination or from coercion, 
but to be sons worthy of me, to rise above all force and 
necessity. You should so dispose your souls, as to be 
ready to die for your laws, reflecting on this, that, if 
God see that you are so disposed, He will not overlook 
you, but will greatly value your virtue and give you 
back that freedom in which you shall live in security 
according to our customs. Your bodies are mortal, but 
yours may be an earthly immortality by the remem- 
brance of the actions you have done. Agree with one 



420 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

another and in what point one excels the other, yield to 
him so far. Take Maccabaeus for your general, because 
of his courage and strength. Conciliate the righteous 
and the pious and so add their power to yours. " After 
this Mattathias prayed to God to be their helper and 
died and was buried at Modim. 

Flavius Josephus. 

^TllTH wondrous might from tyrant's hand 

Thou did' st relieve the gallant band, 
The valiant few who cleansed Thy shrine 
And caused once more Thy light to shine. 



xxvi. Zfc ^cfloofing of #e &<M». 

Blessed is the man whom Thou chasteneth and 
teachest him out of Thy Law. — Psalms xciv. 12. 



fY\ OW I venture to say that no one can tell of many, 
^-* nay, of more than two or three, that have aban- 
doned our laws, or feared death, not the easiest of 
deaths which happens in battles, but which comes with 
tortures, which is the hardest of all. Indeed, I think 
they have put us to such deaths, not from their hatred 
of us, but rather to see a wonderful sight, namely: that 
there are men in the world who believe that the only 
evil is being compelled to do or speak anything contrary 
to their sacred laws. But men ought not to wonder at 
our courage; when they know how willingly we sub- 



421 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

mit throughout our life to such practices, as working 
with our hands, living frugally, avoiding luxury and 
keeping of our days of rest. For those that can use 
their swords in war, and put their enemies to flight, 
cannot bear to submit to rules about their mode of liv- 
ing; whereas our being accustomed willingly to submit 
to laws makes us readier to show our fortitude upon 
other occasions also. Flavius Josephus. 

7j HY word is like a flaming sword, 
^^ A wedge that cleaveth stone ; 
Keen as a fire, so burns Thy word 
And pierces flesh and bone. 

O send it forth 

O'er all the earth, 
To scatter all the night of sin, 
The darken' d heart to cleanse and win. 



XXVII. Zfc TXKtneec of Conoucf. 

Take not Thy word utterly out of my mouth ; for 
I have hoped in Thy judgments. — Psalms cxix. 43. 



44 (2fc ND God created the tig* 1 * "—by tight is meant, 
^ the actions of the just. For their deeds are 
luminous, and are a blessing for all men, even for sin- 
ners. As a symbol that Israel should strive to be such 
a source of light for mankind, it was ordered that the 
purest refined oil only should be used for the perpetual 
lamp in the Tabernacle. 



422 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

The commandment: Thou shalt love the Eternal, thy 
God, includes the duty to so regulate our actions as to 
lead other men to the love of God, If thou art well 
versed in the law; if thou art seen in the company of 
the wise; if thy behavior is mild to every man, what do 
the people say ? They say: How great is the Law of 
God: for see, how beautiful is his life, and how good 
are all his actions; woe to him that knows not the Law. 
But if a man is learned, and his conduct rude, his 
thoughts mean, his actions equivocal — then, the peo- 
ple say: Woe to him that is versed in the Law; woe 
to his father, woe to the teacher. Thus are Law and 
Lawgiver brought low before men ; and of those who are 
the cause, it is said (Ezechiel 3, 20): When a right- 
eous man doth turn from his righteousness and commit 
iniquity, and I lay a stumbling-block in his way, he 
shall die. The Pharisees. 

T^HEN will I feed this sacred fire ; 
^w' For wisdom's precepts still inquire ; 
Still pray from pride and folly free ; 
" Speak, Lord, Thy servant heareth Thee." 



XXVIII. ^ins of Omission, 

For I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is 
always before me. — Psalms li. j. 



7t"HIS is so important a subject that it must be dwelt 

upon. How common is the classification of sins 

into those of commission and of omission: and how 

423 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

common is the mistake that the former are the more- 
hurtful. Even in our prayers we ask pardon for "our 
sins of commission" and "our sins of omission" and 
the tones of our voice show that the latter are put 
apart, as in a parenthesis, and are considered not at all 
heinous. We must arouse ourselves to the truth that 
sins of omission may be much worse than the worst 
sins of commission, as they are called. These latter 
may be committed in the heat of passion, and may 
break out perhaps only once in a man's life; his char- 
acter may then be like a house which has been smitten 
by a storm-blast, having a chimney knocked down, or 
the corner of the roof torn off; but sins of omission are 
like a dry rot which reduces the whole edifice to such a 
state that at any moment it may drop into a heap of 
dust. Charles F. Deems. 

f /j VEEP our shame for follies past, 
*™^ Talents wasted, time misspent, 
Hearts absorbed by worldly cares, . 
Thankless for the blessings lent. 

xxix. <WotB$v f Wise <mb dftertrf*. 

Bring no more vain oblations. ... I cannot 
bear iniquity with solemn meeting. — Isaiah i. ij. 

One of the ancient teachers exclaimed, I wonder 
if there be One in this generation who will accept cor- 
rection ; if I say to him, Take the mote out of thine 
eye, he straightways answers, Take the beam out of 
thine own. — From the Talmud. 

424 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

T^HOU, son of man, guard thy foot when thou goest 
to the sanctuary of the Lord to pray, so that thou 
goest not there full of sin before thou have repented ; 
and incline thine ear to receive the teaching of the law 
from the priests and sages; be not like the foolish who 
bring sacrifices for their sins, yet do not cease from 
their evil works, they hold them in their hands when 
they lift them to heaven; how can their prayers find 
acceptance there ? They do not even try to learn 
whether they do good or evil. 

Ancient Paraphrase of Ecclesiastes. 

If thou bring thy goods to the altar and there re- 
memberest that thy brother had aught against thee ; 
leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way ; 
first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and 
offer thy gift. — Sermon on the Mount. 

XXX. (glore U0 anb <Wefcome. 

He is the Lord of wonders, who, in His goodness, 
reneweth daily the wonders of creation ! . . . O, 
cause a new light to shine upon Zion, and may we all 
be worthy soon to enjoy its brightness. — Hebrew 
Ritual. 



*1 ALSO desire a religion of to-day; but that must not 
^ necessarily be one born to-day or manufactured to- 
day. An ancient religion whose fundamental truths 
have stood the test of ages, and is rich in associations 
and traditions, will not only do as well, but sometimes 
better, provided only we do not turn it into an idol and 



425 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

sacrifice to it our reason and our judgment. Take what 
you think the best thought of to-day, graft it on the old 
stem, and give it time to assimilate the sap, and just see 
what a finely colored flower will appear bye-and-bye 
and what new species of plant you will produce. 
Reason is the primal revelation of God and the only 
channel through which any other can truly enlighten 
us. He is an infidel who doubts the wisdom of God in 
the endowment of His creatures; and, if He gave us the 
right to err, let no man dare to stamp that privilege as 
a sin. The enemy of faith is not reason — but unreason- 
ableness. G. G. 

t^ET him walk in the gloom who will, 
^* Peace be with him ! But whence is his right 
To assert that the world is in darkness, 

Because he has turned from the light ? 
Or seek to o'ershadow my day 

With the pall of his self-chosen night ? 

XXXI. £0e 5&tfm of (prdger. 

My prayer is to the living God. — Psalm. 



I. 

^YlHEN prayer delights thee least, then learn to pray, 
Now is the greatest need that thou should'st pray. 

2. 

Crooked and warped I am, and I would fain 
Straighten myself by Thy right line again- 

426 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

3- 

My well is bitter; cast therein the tree, 

That sweet henceforth its brackish waves may be. 

4- 
Say, what is prayer, when it is prayer indeed ? 
The mighty utterance of a mighty need. 

5. 
The man is praying, who doth press with might 
Out of his darkness into God's own light. 

6. 

The greenest leaf, divided from its stem, 
To speedy withering doth itself condemn. 

7- 

All things from God their sentence wait 
And sun and moon are beggars at His gate. 

(Sel.) Richard Ch. Trench. 

Some of the Pharisees held that we should never pray 
unless our soul prompts us to it; others, however, 
taught that we should not pass over the appointed 
times of devotion; for, said they, it cannot fail that 
the soul, in speaking to God, should be aroused from its 
lethargy. 

That which leads men into infidelity is the neglect of 
prayer. Muhammadan. 

Prayer is better than sleep. 

Morning Call of the Muezzin. 
427 



Qim cwh fettxnity. 



Thou wilt show me the path of life ; in Thy pres- 
ence is fulness of joy ; at Thy right hand are pleasures 
for evermore. — Psalms xvi. n. 

What if earth be but the shadow of heaven ? And 
things therein each to the other like, more than on 
earth is thought ? — Milton. 

When we shall die, we shall find we have not 
lost our dreams, we have only lost our sleep. 

—Jean Paul F. Kichter. 



429 



I. ©efag \b £o66. 



Say not unto thy neighbor : Go, and come again, 
and to-morrow I will give, when it is in thy power to 
do it to-day. — Proverbs Hi. 28. 



fiHUN delays, they breed remorse; 

™ Take thy time while time doth serve thee 

Creeping snails have weakest force, 

Fly their fault lest thou repent thee. 
Good is best when soonest wrought, 
Linger'd labors come to naught. 

Hoist up sail while gale doth last, 

Tide and wind stay no man's pleasure; 

Seek not time when time is past, 
Sober speed is wisdom's leisure. 

After-wits are dearly bought, 

Let thy fore-wit guide thy thought. 

Time wears all his locks before, 
Take thy hold upon his forehead ; 

When he flies he turns no more, 
And behind his scalp is naked. 

Works adjourn'd have many stays, 

Long demurs breed new delays. 

431 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Seek thy salve while sore is green, 
Fester' d wounds ask deeper lancing; 

After-cures are seldom seen, 

Often sought, scarce ever chancing; 

Time and place give best advice, 

Out of season, out of price. 

Robert Southwell. 

Blessed be God, Who loadeth us daily, because 
He is the God of our salvation. — P saints Ixviii. ig. 



Qj[ WAKE, my brother, and delay not to cure thyself 
^ of the disease of pride and arrogance, nor be pre- 
vented therefrom because thou seest others delay to 
cure themselves, nor say, " Let happen to me what 
happens to them." For it is not probable that a blind 
person will delay to avail himself of the remedies which 
are at hand and say: " Let happen to me what happens 
to my companions in blindness." Therefore look to 
thyself and exert all thy strength; nor reject what may 
avail thee both in this world and the world to come, 
lest thou die without having attained the precious bene- 
fits within thy reach ; as The Wise One said (Prov. 
xxi. 25): The desire of the slothful killeth him. And 
again (xxiv. 30), I went by the field of the slothful and 
by the vineyard of the man void of understanding, and 



432 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

lo! it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had 
covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was 
broken down. May God in His mercy show thee and 
me the right path to serve Him ! Amen. 

Bechai Ben Joseph Pakudah. 
XL Century. 

rt,ORD, teach us so to mark our days 
^* That we may prize them duly : 
So guide our feet in wisdom's ways 

That we may love Thee truly ; 
Return, O, Lord ! our griefs behold, 
And with Thy goodness, as of old, 

O satisfy us early. 

¥ 

Hi. gere xb f#e £x$t of hereafter. 

Man is like to vanity ; his days are as a shadow 
that passeth away. — Psalms cxliv. 4. 



/ftTOD, the source of life, has placed in our nature the 
blessed hope of immortality by which we may 
console ourselves for the vanity of life and overcome 
the dread of death. If thou art in truth of the higher 
sphere, why should the thought of leaving this lower 
region trouble thee ? Especially since the very pleas- 
ures which thou seekest on earth are, in reality, but 
briars and thorns. . . . Therefore seek them 
not; but what should'st thou do ? This: Use thy time 
as thou would'st a doubtful companion; extract the 



433 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

good and avoid the evil. Avail thyself of the few 
opportunities of improvement in his company, and use 
thy discretion so that thou mayest suffer no injury from 
thy association with him. And remember that the 
companionship of Time is but of short duration. It 
flies more quickly than the shades of evening. We are 
like a child that grasps in his hand a sunbeam. He 
opens his hand soon again, but, to his amazement, 
finds it empty and the brightness gone. 

R. Jedaya Penini. 
XIV. Century. 

OfJlHAT is our duty here ? to tend 

From good to better, thence to best ; 
Grateful to drink life's cup — then bend 

Unmurmuring to our bed of rest ; 
To pluck the flowers that round us blow, 
Scattering sweet fragrance as we go. 



IV. <W C Cannot 6e <Wfat (Bob is QXct 

Thou compassest my path and my lying down, 
and art acquainted with all my ways. Thou hast be- 
set me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me. 

— Psalms cxxxix. j, j. 

3F this dogma of God's omnipresence may enable us 
to live more worthily, calling out our full capacities, 
meagre though they be, of hope, of faith and of love, 
will it not also enable us, when the need has come, to 

434 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

die worthily, too ? For death itself can not separate 
either ourselves or those we love from God: He has 
given, He has taken, blessed be the name of the Lord! 
For, though flesh waste away, God is still our portion 
and their portion; and if His love and His wisdom are 
manifested in life, they must also be manifested, what- 
ever and however may be the outcome, in that passage 
and change which we speak of as death. Those we 
have honored and loved must die, perchance in the 
springtime of their youth, perchance in the fulness of 
their age; an instant more, an instant less; in God's 
sight it makes no difference. They pass, but they are 
with Him, even as we; nay, perhaps we may say more 
truly, both of them and of ourselves: They are with 
God, where we, too, soon shall be. 

Claude G. Montifiore. 



./fr'OR me, my heart that erst did go 
^JJ Most like a tired child at a show, 
That sees through tears the mummers leap,- 
Would now its wearied vision close, 
Would childlike on His love repose, 
Who giveth His beloved sleep, 

And friends, dear friends, when it shall be 
That this low breath is gone from me, 
And round my bier ye come to weep, 
Let one, most loving of you all, 
Say " Not a tear must o'er her fall ! " 
He giveth His beloved sleep. 



435 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

V. 2#e Znaicfit of <Bk>obne60. 

Unto the wicked, God saith : What hast thou 
to do to declare My statutes, or that thou should' st take 
My covenant in thy mouth ? Seeing thou hatest in- 
struction and castest My word behind thee ! — Psalms 
I. j6, iy. 

3T is true to say that goodness, on it's own field, can 
see further, and see more truly, than the mere in- 
telligence which is divorced from moral worth. Good- 
ness can be allied to the deepest ignorance, and we 
shall always maintain proudly that such goodness is 
more acceptable to God and more akin to Him than the 
profoundest knowledge and the most brilliant genius 
when wedded to a selfish or immoral life. Plato speaks 
of the character of a good physician, and a good judge, 
and he urges that "a judge should be not young; he 
should have learnt to know evil, not from his own soul, 
but from late and long observation of the nature of evil 
in others; for vice can not know virtue, too, but a vir- 
tuous nature, educated by time, will acquire a knowl- 
edge, both virtue and vice." There is a divine world 
of beauty into which the vicious can never enter, the 
laws of which he can not discern ; in that realm the 
stupidest servant of goodness, the dullest menial of 
love, is wiser than he. You can not do the works of 
goodness by sheer intelligence; it is love which must 
primarily suggest the details of love's service. 
'Tis love must see them as the eye sees light, 
Day is but Numbre to the darkened sight. 

436 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Love can open the eyes of reason, but reason can not 
command love. 

Claude G. Montifiore. 

A"\II, loving and forgiving, 
^■^ Twin sisters of the soul, 
In whose celestial living 
The passions find control ! 
Still breathe your influence o'er us, 
Whene'er by passions crost, 
And angel-like restore us, 
The Paradise we have lost. 

¥ 

VI. £0e jjear <xt& f0e &ot>e of (Bob. 

And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability 
of thy times, and the strength of salvation ; the fear of 
the Lord is thy treasure. — Isaiah xxxiii. 6. 

I love the Lord, for He hath heard my voice and 
my supplications. — Psalms cxvi. i. 



Tj^HE heart will never awake to life till the passions 
die. 

Appear as thou art, or be as thou appearest. 

Oblivion of self is remembrance of God. 

God, if I be so happy while I fear Thee, how happy 
shall I become when I cease to fear Thee, and shall 
only love Thee. 

He who fears not God of his own free will, must fear 
mankind of necessity. 

1 saw a stone cast on a road, and thereon was written 
by the Pen of God's Might : " O son of man, since thou 

437 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

dost not act in accordance with what thou knowest, 
how seekest thou what thou knowest not ? " 

Were there no affliction, there were no way to God. 

The supreme thanksgiving to God is that thou should- 
est see thyself incapable of duly rendering thanks to Him, 

Persian. 

fW% Y heart believes — yet still I long for light, 
vi* Surely the morning cometh after night, 
When Faith, the watcher, shall give place to sight ! 

VII. Z§t jffgtf of ytax*. 

Gwo IDoicee* 

I. 

ICOW soon hath time, the subtle thief of youth 

^J Stolen on his wing my three and twentieth year! 

My hasting days flow on with full career. 

But my late spring no bud nor blossom shewth. 

Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth 

That I to manhood am arrived so near ; 

And inward ripeness does much less appear 

That some more timely-happy spirit endu'th. 

Yet be it less or more, or soon or slow, 

It shall be still in strictest measure even, 

To that same lot, however mean or high, 

Towards which time leads me, and the will of Heaven 

All is, if I have grace to use it so, 

As ever in my great taskmaster's eye. 

Milton. 

438 



S(JX AAV) SHIELD. 



II. 



A plaintive sonnet flowed from Milton's pen 

When time had stolen his three-and-twentieth year; 

Say, shall not I, then, shed one tuneful tear, 

Robbed by the thief of three-score years and ten? 

No! for the foes of all life lengthened men, 

Trouble and toil, approach not yet too near; 

Reason, meanwhile, and health, and memory dear 

Hold unimpaired their weak, yet wonted reign; 

Still round my sheltered lawn I, pleased, can stray; 

Still trace my sylvan blessings to their spring. 

Being of Beings ! Yes, that silent lay 

Which musing gratitude delights to sing, 

Still to Thy sapphire throne shall Faith convey 

And Hope, the cherub of unwearied wing. 

William Mason. 
¥ 

VIII. Zfyt ^itttzt (preparation for a Suffer 

TEorfb. 

Return, O my soul, unto thy rest, for the Lord 
hath dealt bountifully with thee. — Psalms cxvi. 7, S. 



Tf'HE effect of water, poured on the root of a tree, is 

seen on the branches and fruit above; so, in the 

next world, are seen the effects of good deeds performed 

here. Buddhist Scripture. 

There are good deeds of which man earns the fruit 

439 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

but scantily in this world, because the fulness of reward 
can only be enjoyed in the world to come. 

The Mishnah. 

Is it not strange, my friends, that after all I have 
said to convince you that I am going to the society of 
the Happy, you still think this body to be Socrates ? 
Bury my lifeless body where you please, but do not 
mourn over it, as if that were Socrates. 

Spoken shortly before his death. 

3N loving service for others, remorse for sin allay, 
And the angels will forget the debt thou canst not pay. 
Heaven's gate is shut to him who comes alone, 
Save thou another soul, and it shall save thine own. 



IX. (passing $tteag in (peace- 

And the king said unto Barzillai, Come thou over 
with me, and I will feed thee in Jerusalem. And 
Barzillai said unto the king, How long have I to live, 
that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem ? 
I am this day fourscore years old : and can I discern 
between good and evil ? can thy servant taste what I 
eat or what I drink ? can I hear any more the voice of 
singing men and singing women ? Wherefore, then, 
should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord, the 
king ? Thy servant will go a little way over Jordan with 
the king : and why should the king recompense it me 
with such a reward ? Let thy servant, I pray thee, 
turn back again, that I may die in mine own city, 
and be buried by the grave of my father and of my 
mother. — II. Samuel xix. 33-37. 

440 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

^YV^HEISr I get through my labor, when there is noth- 
ing I can any longer achieve, any longer do to 

make the world brighter, happier, better, then I pray 
God to let me fade and fall, to let me go to sleep. If I 
believed that there was nothing further for man, no 
other, higher life, perhaps I might selfishly cling to my 
place on the bough, against logic, against reason; but, 
standing here this morning, I ask that I may fade as a 
leaf when my-life work is done, when I have ministered 
to the life that bore me all that it can — then let me at 
least go on, and see if there be not something higher 
and better than simply waiting alone on the bough that 
has given me support. Minot J. Savage. 

(Wl Y days are as the grass ; 

VJL Soon out of sight I pass 

And in the bleak earth must hide my head ; 

The wind that passes o'er 

Will find my place no more, — 
The wind of death will tell that I am dead. 

But how shall I rejoice 

When I shall hear the voice 
Of Him who, keeping spring with him alway, 

Lest hope from man should pass 

Has made us as the grass, — 
The grass that always has another day. 



X. (pfottftng for <£fernifg. 

The Lord hath chastened me sore ; but He hath 
not given me over unto death. — Psalms cxviii. 18. 

441 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

^HE noble-minded, if brought ever so low in poverty, 
cannot hide his nobility; he is like a burning 
wood; turn it down as you may- — the flame still rises 
heavenwards. Eastern. 

The human heart is like heaven ; the more angels, 
the more room. Frederika Bremer. 

To dare is great. To bear is greater. Bravery we 
share with the brutes: Fortitude with saints. 

C. F. Deems. 

True glory consists in doing what deserves to be 
written ; and in writing it consists, in what deserves to 
be read, and in living to make the world happier and 
better for our living in it. Pliny. 

A man must not so much prepare himself for eternity, 
but plant eternity in himself — eternity — serene, pure, 
full of depth, full of light and of all else that is grand 
and holy. 

OfrRISE, O star of blessed hope, 
V^/ Let not my soul in darkness grope 
And suffer pangs of constant death, 
Long ere I breathe my dying breath. 

¥ 

XI. ©tBcorbB <xrfo (glccotb* of feife. 

In the evening there is weeping, in the morning 
cometh rejoicing. — Psalms xxx. J. 

442 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

^\YlE must learn to suffer what we cannot evade. Our 

life, like the harmony of the world, is composed 
of contrary things, of several notes, sweet and harsh, 
sharp and flat, sprightly and solemn, and the musician 
who should only affect one of these, what would he be 
able to do ? He must know how to make use of them 
all and to mix them ; and we, likewise, the goods and evils 
which are consubstantial with life; our being cannot 
subsist without this mixture, and the one are not less 
necessary to it than the other. To attempt to kick 
against natural necessity is to repeat the folly of 
Chisiphon who undertook to kick with his mule. 

Montaigne. 

7j EARS wash away the atoms in the eye 
^^ That smarted for a day : 
Rain-clouds that spoiled the splendors of the sky 
The fields with flowers array. 

No chamber of pain but has some hidden door 

That promises release : 
No solitude so drear but yields its store 

Of thought and inward peace. 

XII. g#e (gCffuremento of ^etotem. 

Though a host should encamp against me, I shall 
not fear. . . . — Psalms xxvii. 3. 



*?T is not to taste sweet things, but to do noble things 
*J and vindicate himself under God's heaven as a God- 
made man, that the poorest son of Adam dimly longs. 



443 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Show him the way of doing that, the dullest day-drudge 
kindles into a hero. They wrong man greatly who say, 
he is seduced by ease ; difficulty, abnegation, martyr- 
dom, death are the allurements that act on the heart of 
man. Kindle the inner genial life of him, you have a 
flame that burns up all lower considerations. . . . 
Not by flattering our appetites — no, by awakening the 
heroic in every heart, can any religion gain followers. 

Thomas Carlyle. 

7j HERE is day without night ; 
^^ And there no heart shall sigh ; 
There is peace without fright 

In that realm heavenly. 
There is truth without unright, 

Ever and equally : — 
All be alike, both churl and knight, 

Both rich and poor on high. 

Old English. 



XIII. Qttotning Offering. 

My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; 
in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee 
and will look up. — Psalms v. 3. 



OfYlHY "lookup" ? Is it expectancy — the lifting of 

the eyes in the hope of an answer ? I do not think 

so. I think it is the looking up, not in expectation, but 

in pride, that noble pride which a holy man may feel. 

444 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

The Psalmist says that when he prays lie can pray with 
unabashed countenance — with eyes looking right into 

the face of God. He has nothing to be ashamed of. 
He may not gain his desire, but he need not blush for 
it. And why has he no cause to blush ? Because his 
prayer is offered "in the morning." It is not wrung 
out by the exigencies of the day. It does not come 
from the burden and the heat. It is not wakened by 
cares of the world. It is not a cry called forth by per- 
sonal pain. It comes from the heart as yet unburdened, 
from the spirit as yet free. It mounts by the wings of 
praise; it soars in the flight of song. It has not been 
taught to fly; it flies by instinct. It turns to the Father 
as the magnet turns to the pole — not by compulsion 
but by attraction. George Matheson. 

AWEET mom ! from countless cups of gold 
^^ Thou liftest reverently on high 
More incense fine than earth can hold, 
To fill the sky. 

In man, O morn, a loftier good, 

With conscious blessing fills the soul — 
A life by reason understood 

Which metes the whole. 

Xiv. "Zfys ©ag ffc £orb %o§ (UUbe." 

Show me Thy ways, O Lord, teach me Thy path.-. 
lead me in Thy truth and guide me ; for Thou art 
the God of my salvation ; on Thee do I wait every 
day. — Psalms xxv. 4,5. 

445 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/JTNNE of the illusions is: that the present hour is not 
the critical, decisive hour. Write it on your heart 
that every day is the best day in the year. No man 
has learned anything rightly until he knows that every 
day is Doomsday. . . . He only can enrich me who 
can recommend me the space between sun and sun. 
'Tis the measure of a man — his apprehension of a day. 

R. W. Emerson. 

So here has been dawning another blue day, 
Think ! Wilt thou let it slip useless away ? 

Out of eternity this new day is born; 
Into eternity at night will return. 

Behold it aforetime no eye ever did ; 
So soon it for ever from all eyes is hid. 

Here has been dawning another blue day, 
Think, wilt thou let it slip useless away ? 

Thomas Carlyle. 



XV. (Bicforious from tfc fi#. 

Blessed is he whose conscience has not condemned 
him and who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord. 

— Ecclesiasticus, 



AjOME calm and holy souls, unruffled by doubt and 
^ passion, serene in their trust and perfect in their 
devotion, seem, indeed, never to have known that inter- 
mediate state of difficulty and contest. Most fair and 

446 



SUN AND SI llli LP. 

beautiful these souls are; and loveliest, perhaps, among 
them are those whose knowledge is small, whose relig- 
ious vocabulary is limited, and whose beliefs are child- 
like and crude, but whose humility and ardour, whose 
loyal trust and faithful service stamp them as worthy 
children of the heavenly Father. And scarcely less to 
be reverenced than they by us who, let us hope, are 
struggling to be free — are those in whose faces is 
written the record of the fight from which they have 
come out victorious. They are wise with the wisdom 
of experience; they are merciful in judgment, for they, 
too, erewhile have been in bondage. 

Claude G. Montifiore. 

tf^OVE virtue ; she alone is free ; 
^ f She will teach you how to climb 
Higher than the sphery chime ; 
Or if Virtue feeble were, 
Heaven itself should stoop to her. 



XVI. (pbnt$f Jfemn. 

And in the nighttime His song is with me. — Psalms 
xlii. 8. 



Off MIDST the silence of the voiceless night, 
^ When, chased by airy dreams, the slumbers flee, 
Whom in the darkness doth my spirit seek, 
O God, but Thee ? 



447 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

And if there be a weight upon my breast, 
Some vague impression of the day foregone, 
Scarce knowing what it is, I fly to Thee, 
And lay it down. 

Or if it be the heaviness that comes 
In token of anticipated ill, 
My bosom takes no heed of what it is, 
Since 'tis Thy will. 

For oh, in spite of past and present care, 
Or any thing beside, how joyfully 
Passes that silent, solitary hour, 
My God, with Thee. 

More tranquil than the stillness of the night, 
More peaceful than the silence of that hour, 
More blest than anything, my spirit lies 
Beneath Thy power. 

For what is there on earth that I desire 
Of all that it can give or take from me, 
Or whom in heaven doth my spirit seek, 

O God, but Thee. Anon. 

¥ 

XVII. Zfc $u$ioning ganb. 

The fining pot is for silver and the furnace for 
gold, even so the Lord purifieth the heart. — Psalms 
xvii. j. 

44 8 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

QQTX opal lay in the case, cold and lustreless. It was 
^ w held a few moments in a warm hand, when it 
gleamed and glowed with all the beauty of the rainbow. 
All about us are human lives of children or of older 
persons, which seem cold and unbeautiful, without 
spiritual radiance or the gleams of indwelling light 
which tell of immortality. Yet they need only the 
touch of a warm human hand, the pressure of love, to 
bring out in them the brightness of the spiritual beauty 
that is hidden in them. J. R. Miller. 

In the still air the music lies unheard; 

In the rough marble beauty hides unseen ; 
To make the music and the beauty needs 

The master's touch, the sculptor's chisel keen. 
Great Master, touch us with Thy skillful hand ; 

Let not the music that is in us die; 
Great Sculptor, hew and polish us; nor let, 

Hidden and lost, Thy form within us lie! 

HORATIUS BONAR. 



XVIII. gtf $e (Unftnotwn (Bate. 

(Brab term for Grave) 



Though I walk into the valley of the shadow 
death I fear no evil, for Thou art with me : Thy rod 
and Thy staff they comfort me. — Psalms xxiii. 4. 

449 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

AO live, that when Thy summons come to join 
^"" The innumerable caravan wnich moves 
To that mysterious realm where each shall take 
His chamber in the silent halls of death, 
Thou go not as the quarry-slave at night, 
Scourged to his dungeon ; but sustained and soothed 
By an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave 
Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch 
About him, and lies down to pleasant dream 

Bryant. 

Alas for him who never sees 
The stars shine through his cypress trees ! 
Who, hopeless, lays his dead away, 
Nor looks to see the breaking day 
Across the mournful marbles play ! 
Who hath not learned, in hours of faith, 
The truth, to flesh and sense unknown: 
That life is ever Lord of death 
And love can never lose its own. 

Whittier. 

XIX. gtt tfc time of £>fb (fat. 

Remember not the sins of my youth and my 
transgression ; according to Thy mercy remember me, 
for Thy goodness sake. — Psalms xxv. 7. 

Cast me not away in the time of old age, when 
my strength waneth, forsake me not. — Psalms Ixxi. 9. 

450 



3 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

F, gracious God! in life's green ardent year, 
A thousand times Thy patient love I tried, 
With reckless heart, with conscience hard and sear, 
Thy gifts perverted and Thy power defied, — 
Oh! grant me now, that winter snows appear 
Around my brow and youth's bright promise hide, 
Grant me, with reverential awe to hear 
Thy holy voice and in Thy words confide ! 
Blot from my book of life its early stain! 
Since days misspent will never more return, 
My future path do Thou in mercy trace; 
So cause my soul with pious zeal to burn, 

That all the trust which in Thy name I place, 
Frail, as I am, may not prove wholly vain! 

(7>.) Pietro Bombo. 

Before the hoary head thou shalt rise up and honor 
the face of the aged ; and thou shalt reverence thy God ; 
I am the Lord. Leviticus xix. 32. 

A Spartan predicted the downfall of Athens when he 
observed in the theatre that the young men kept their 
seats while old citizens were obliged to stand. 



XX. £#e Crotening of a (Boob fetfe. 

A crown of glory is a hoary head if it be found 
on the path of righteousness and mercy. — Pn verbs 

xiv. 31, 

451 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

*lT is a beautiful thing, standing here, children of 
^ Israel and children of the Christian faith, to remem- 
ber that this grand old Hebrew (Moses Montefiore) did 
all these good and noble things because he was loyal to 
his convictions. He was, to the very backbone, a 
religious man. He was conscious of the fact that he 
was a son of the Highest, enclosed in the ancient 
covenant between God and His chosen race ; and that 
he was assured of His blessing, if he went forth into 
the world to comfort the oppressed and bring good 
tidings to the down-trodden. Can those be right who 
tell us that in these days religious conviction has become 
a minus quantity? That we have nothing of the old 
chivalry, nothing of the old heroism, nothing of the 
daring spirit, which will, forgetful of all smaller motives, 
go forth to do valiantly for God and His suffering chil- 
dren? Moses Montefiore at his hundreth birthday, is a 
complete refutation of this pessimistic idea. 

Stephen H. Camp. 

7fr"HOU who so high hast raised me by Thy love, 
^^ My eyes look upward to Thy realms above, 
Thou art my strength, on Thee will I rely 
And serve Thee till the moment that I die, 
Thy service I have made my chosen part, 
O God ! instill Thy grace into my heart. 

¥ 

XXI. 3n t0e gome for 3ncu?a6fe0. 

I am silent, I open not my mouth — for Thou, O 
God, hast done it. — Psalms xxxix. g. 

45 2 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

7^11 E natural instinct of almost every mind is to 
shrink in repulsion from the spectacle of hopeless 
disease — from the sight of the pinched features, the 
stunted frame, the palsied limbs of its victims. And 
yet it is not all ugliness. All his uncomeliness begets 
and nurtures a beauty of its own. It is God's beauty — 
the beauty of moral health which, by a wondrous para- 
dox, springs out of physical sickness, and transfigures 
it. . . . With what fine fortitude do these patients 
bear their hard lot ! They know they have nothing on 
this earth to hope for; they know that for them one 
day must be like another, presenting the same grey 
monotony of weakness and pain — and still they are 
patient and resigned and even cheerful. They do not 
cry out because their load is heavy; they do not impeach 
the justice of a dispensation that has doomed them to 
incurable wretchedness while so many of their fellow- 
creatures, whose very voices reach them from the 
street outside are revelling in the joy of life. This is 
heroism indeed, and it is heroism which is not confined 
to them, but repeats itself in many a life that is passed 
elsewdiere than in a Home for Incurables. 

Morris Joseph. 

fDR < Jod who binds the broken heart 
And dries the mourner's tear, 
If faith and patience be their part 
Will unto these be near. 



453 



SUN AND SHIELD. 



XXII. Zfyt geroism of ^u6mt06ton. 



They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their 
strength. . . . They shall run and not be weary ; 
they shall walk and not be faint. — Isaiah xl. j>/. 



/W| AN Y a time as we walk abroad we meet a face that 
*- tells the same noble story — a face on which 
trouble has left deep traces, but endurance and victory- 
footprints deeper still. Now and again you meet some 
one whose story needs no interpretation — it is so obvious 
— an old man, perhaps, bowed and broken with his years, 
yet literally carrying his heavy load as the only means 
of earning the bread he scorns to beg for, or some brave 
girl going forth to her work, thinly clad, in the early 
morning of a bitter winter's day, when ease and com- 
fort and fine raiment might be hers if she would only 
forget the meaning of virtue. Nay, do you not know 
of examples among your own acquaintances? Do you 
not know of those who in all their trials have never lost 
their integrity, who submit to the chastening hand of 
God without repining, who go their way and do their 
work making no sign, but, like the Spartan boy in the 
ancient tale, sternly repressing the anguish which is 
knawing at their hearts ? Do you not know of those 
whom sorrow has bruised, but who have overcome it at 
last, of those who have loved and lost, and yet have 
clung gratefully to what has been left them, of those 
who have found some heart worthless for which they 

454 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

have sacrificed themselves, and yet have retained their 
trust in human goodness, of those who drag the heavy 
chain of ceaseless suffering, and yet cheer and encourage 
those about them, yet look up into God's face with a 
patient smile? Morris Joseph. 

^fV^HEN adverse winds and waves arise 

^^ And in my heart despondence sighs — 
While life her throng of care reveals 
And weakness o'er my spirit steals, — 

Grateful I hear the kind decree, 

That " as my day, my strength shall be." 



XXIII. "(not bo in %<xiii, mg feittfe (man. 

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all 
thy might. — Ecclesiastes ix. 10. 



fjTNH, for the art of doing things quickly, yet without 
haste, of speeding on to the finish without hurry. 
What an unfailing source of joy would our daily tasks, 
yea, our very drudgeries, b to us under such skillful 
handling, what a saving of strength and nerve-power 
it would mean to us. " Procrastination is the thief of 
time," yes, and so are hurry and haste, false friends; 
nay, they rob us of more than time, they steal patience, 
good-nature and all joy in our labor. Because our 
forefathers went out of Egypt in haste, we, their latest 
posterity, still are eating "the bread of misery" on the 

455 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Passover, and yet the rush was from bondage to liberty. 
Was it by way of contrast that the prophet foretold of 
the later deliverance that "ye shall not go out with 
haste nor as if by flight ; but the Lord will go before 
you and the God of Israel will be your rear-guard? " 

G. G. 

'\WTHOUT haste, without rest, 

^^ Bind the motto to thy breast ; 
Bear it with thee as a spell, 
Storm or sunshine, guard it well. 

Heed not flowers that round thee bloom, 
Bear it onward to the tomb. 



XXIV. Out times of Etfe. 

4 4 H^ Thy hand are my times," both, good and 
** evil. Human life never flows in an even course. 
Like a river it passes now through green meadows, and 
now through dreary wastes; now along a valley and 
now amid mountains and over precipices. Only the 
foolhardy trust in the constancy of earthly things. 
Even if nothing changes outwardly, we ourselves change 
with increasing years; time leaves its furrows not only 
on our faces, but on our minds also. It is not pleasant 
to be reminded of this, but it is wholesome. For whilst 
it is true that a general should always go into a battle 
with the feeling that he will win, he must, none the less, 
keep his line of retreat open and accessible. The 
more necessary is this in our warfare of life, as we 

456 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

know we shall be beaten some day. Let us, then, ask 
ourselves: what city of refuge have we prepared for 
shelter when that clay comes? It is pitiful to see people 
plunged in affliction without any spiritual resources 
within themselves or any aptitude for finding comfort 
in what is offered them by others; no God near to look 
up to; no prayer possible to relieve the oppressed 
bosom ; no ray of hope falling into the gloom and no 
knowledge of the higher uses of adversity. The stroke 
only is felt, never the hand that dealt it! G. G. 

J^EAYE to His sovereign sway 
J~* To choose and to command ; 
With wonder filled, thou then shalt own, 

How wise, how strong His hand. 
Thou comprehend'st Him not; 

Yet earth and heaven tell : 
God sits as sovereign on the throne, 

He ruleth all things well. 

¥ 

XXV. £0e §ope of a future a £t# for ffc 

(preeent 

The people that walked in darkness have seen a 
great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow 
of death — upon them has the light broken. — IsaiaJi 
ix. 2. 



Oj?S the pleasure of the future will be spiritual and 
^-* pure, the object of a good and wise man in tins 
transitory state of existence should be to fit himself for 



457 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

a better by controlling the unworthy propensities of his 
nature and improving" all his better aspirations; to do 
his duty to his God, then to his neighbor; to promote 
the happiness and welfare of those who are in any 
degree dependent on him or whom he has the means 
of assisting, never wantonly to injure the meanest thing 
that lives, to encourage as far as he may have the 
power whatever is useful and tends to refine and exalt 
humanity; to store his mind with such knowledge as it 
is fitted to receive and he is able to attain ; and so to 
employ the talents committed to his care that, when 
the account is required, he may hope to have his 
stewardship approved. Southey. 

yl^LITTERING stones, and golden things, 

**-? Wealth and honors that have wings, 

Ever fluttering to be gone, 

I could never call my own ; 

Riches that the world bestows 

She can take and I can lose ; 

But the treasures that are mine 

Lie afar beyond her line ; 

When I view my spacious soul, 

And survey myself a whole, 

And enjoy myself alone, 

I'm a kingdom of my own. 

Watts. 

¥ 

XXVI. ($, £&ong of Zxwi 

E know not, but Thou knowest 
All things, Most Good and Wise ! 

458 



T» 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

The light is all about Thee, 
The mists are in our eyes. 

Thy children love this solace 
In hours of strain and strife, 

What we know not Thou knowest, 
Oh, God of all our life ! 

Why sicknesses and sorrows 

Should dare to touch Thine own, 
Why loving hearts are breaking, 

And weak ones sad and lone; 
Why those who cry for morning 

Are lost amid the night, 
We know not, but Thou knowest, 

And all Thy ways are right. 

Why from the world that needs them 

Thou call'st Thy best away, 
Though hosts besiege Thee for them, 

And they are fain to stay, 
We ask, but find no answer, 

We cannot understand, 
But Thine is perfect knowledge, 

And our times are in Thy hand. 

From beat of stormy waters, 
From waves of restless care, 

From tumult of great trouble 
And waste of wild despair; 

459 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Our souls find ample refuge 

In faith, as in an ark, 
We know not, but Thou knowest, 

And light shines through the dark. 

XXVII. £0e (&ixB of ffitaun. 

The soul which Thou, O God, hast given me, is 
pure ; Thou hast created it, formed it and breathed 
into my body ; Thou wilt guard it till Thou wilt take 
it from me to restore it in futurity. — Ancient Hebrew 
Prayer. 

^IFE appears to me to be too short to be spent in 
nursing animosity or registering wrongs. We are, 
and must be, one and all, burdened with faults in this 
world; but the time will come when, I trust, we shall 
put them off in putting off our corruptible bodies; 
when debasement and sin will fall from us with this 
cumbrous frame of flesh, and only the spark will 
remain — the impalpable principle of life and thought, 
pure as when it left the Creator to inspire the creature : 
whence it came, it will return, perhaps to pass through 
gradations of glory. . . . It is a creed in which I 
delight, to which I cling. It makes eternity a rest, a 
vast home, not a terror and an abyss. Besides, with 
this creed, revenge never worries my heart; degrada- 
tion never disgusts me too deeply; injustice never 
crushes me too low. I live in calm, looking to the end. 

Charlotte Bronte\ 
460 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/ 7T^HE night is mother of the day, 
^^ The winter of the spring, 
And ever upon old decay, 

The greenest mosses cling. 
Behind the cloud the star-light lurks, 

Through showers the sunbeams fall ; 
For God, who loveth all Mis works 

Hath left His hope with all. 

XXVIII. Cuming t$t £i# tnmx*. 

Let us search and try our ways and turn again to 
God. — La?nentations Hi. 40. 



Tj^HERE is no practice I know of more beautiful than 
that of passing each day under review ; blessed is 
the sleep that follows such an examination of one's self! 
How calm, how lofty and free is the mind that acts as 
a spy and censor of its conduct, and privately approves 
or blames itself for its acts and character. Every night 
I take the opportunity of summoning myself before 
such a tribunal. As soon as the light is out and my 
wife, knowing my practice, has lapsed into silence, I 
run over and examine everything I have said and done 
throughout the day. 

I hide nothing and pass over nothing; for why should 
I fear the sight of my faults, when I can pardon myself 
on condition of not transgressing in the same way 
again? Did I speak too warmly in such and such a 

461 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

discussion? I resolve in future not to engage in debate 
with uneducated people; for those who have never 
learnt anything do not want to learn from me or any- 
one else. 

Did I warn such an one rather more freely than I 
ought? The result was that I only gave offence, and 
did him no good. I will take care in future, that what 
I say shall not only be true, but that he, to whom I 
say it, shall be able to bear the truth. A good man 
likes being warned; while a monitor is intolerable to 
the bad. Seneca. 

^VjITHOUT murmur, uncomplaining, 

*** In His hand 

Lay whatever things thou canst not 

Understand ; 
Though the world thy folly spurneth 
From thy faith in pity turneth, 

Peace thy inmost soul shall fill — 
Lying still. 

XXIX. £0e Jgibben £t# <xnb feife. 

The night shineth as the day, the darkness and the 
light are both alike before Thee. — Psalms cxxxix. 12. 



T^HE immortality of the soul is a thing which so 

deeply concerns, so infinitely imports us, that 

we must have utterly lost our feeling to be altogether 

cold and remiss in our inquiries about it. And all our 

462 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

actions or designs ought to bend so very different a 
way, according as we are encouraged or forbidden to 

embrace the hope of eternal rewards, that it is impos- 
sible for us to proceed with judgment and discretion, 
otherwise than as we keep this point always in view, 
which ought to be our ruling object and final aim. 

Blaise Pascal. 



SONNET ON NIGHT AND DEATH. 

/YV| YSTERIOUS Night! when our first parent knew 
\*/ * Thee, from report divine, and heard thy name, 

Did he not tremble for this lovely frame, 

This glorious canopy of light and blue ? 
Yet 'neath a curtain of translucent dew, 

Bathed in the rays of the great setting flame, 

Hesperus with the host of heaven came, 
And lo ! creation widened in man's view. 
Who could have thought such darkness lay concealed 

Within thy beams, O Sun ! or who could find, 

While fly, and leaf, and insect stood revealed, 

That to such countless orbs thou madest us blind ! 
Why do we then shun Death with anxious strife? 

If Light can thus deceive, wherefore not Life? 

J. Blanco White. 



XXX. £0 e Cfaefemns £0ou# of ©eaffl. 

Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, 
for the end of that man is peace. — Psalms xxxvii, ;~. 

463 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

/\V| IND thee of the day, when thou too shalt start for 
^- the land to which one goeth to return not thence. 
Good for thee then will have been an honest life ; there- 
fore be just and hate transgressions. He who loveth 
justice will be blessed. The coward and the bold, 
neither can fly the grave. . . . Then let thy bounty 
give abundantly, as is fit, love truth, and Isis shall bless 
the good and thou shalt attain a happy old age. 

The soul, on coming to the Hall of Truth, should be 
able to say : I have never perfidiously done evil to any 
man. I have not rendered my neighbor miserable. 
. . . I have not overtasked the laborer, though I 
have obtained lordship, dignities, affluence and com- 
mand. Through my deeds no one has been made 
fearful, or poor, or suffering or wretched. I have 
not done what the gods detest. I have not allowed the 
slave to be maltreated by his master, nor made him 
a-hungry nor caused him to weep. 

Ancient Egyptian. 



XXXI. CroeBtng #e Ear. 



And the Lord spake unto Moses that selfsame 
day, saying : Get thee up unto this mountain Abarim, 
unto Mount Nebo . . . and die in the mount 
whither thou goest up and be gathered unto thy 
people. — Deuteronomy xxxii. 48, jo. 

464 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

AUNSET and evening Star, 

^ And one clear call for me, 

And may there be no moaning of the bar 

When I put out to sea, 
But such a tide as moving seems asleep, 

Too full for sound and foam, 
When that which drew from out the boundless deep, 

Turns again home. 

Twilight and evening bell, 

After that the dark, 
And ma3' there be no sadness of farewell, 

When I embark, 
For tho' from our bourne of time and place 

The flood may bear me far, 
I hope to see my pilot face to face 

When I have crossed the bar. Tennyson. 

Duties are ours; events are God's. This removes an 

infinite burden from the shoulders of a suffering, 

tempted, mortal creature. On this consideration only 

can he securely lay down his head and close his eyes. 

Cecil. 
¥ 

XXXII. gdffotwng ffc QUme of (Bob in $e 

Congregation. 

Iparapbrase of IkaoMsb. 
/teXALTED be His great and holy name, 

Whose righteous hand hath righteous judgment 
wrought. 

465 



SUN AND SHIELD. 

Through all the worlds created by His will 
Now be His kingdom of redemption brought. 
Let righteousness spring forth. Oh, haste and tarry 
not! 

And say ye: Amen. 

Dominion, honor, glory, grace, and power, 

Blessing and bliss, and praise, exceeding praise, 
Realm beyond realm, and worlds all worlds beyond, 
To Him, Father of souls, Ancient of Days, 
Still with One voice of faith the scattered House shall 
raise, 

And say ye : Amen. 

To holy souls, departed by His will, 

By sorrow chastened and by mercy shriven, 

Be blissful portion in the future life, 

Be favor shown and gracious welcome given. 

To them be peace, fulness of peace, in highest 

heaven. 

And say ye: Amen. 

The hallowed One, dwelling in Israel's praise, 
Hath formed the worlds according to His will. 

All souls are His. All worlds shall know His ways. 

In life or death His ways are mercy still. 

Who maketh peace in heaven, His peace our hearts 

shall fill. 

And say ye: Amen. 



E. A. C. Brown. 
466 



1 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




